Equestrian Warfare: Hells Highway
by BlazingAngel44
Summary: After the bloody campaign in the Canterlot region, Red, Ace,the Mane Six and all the other Allies and friends went to a new operation coded-named Market-Garden to liberate the Highland, but something continue on to separate their friendship. In order for them to fight for victory, first they must go through hell...
1. Previously in My Little Pony

**Previously In**  
**My Little Pony**

Before the story begin, there is a series of flashback from the first story and some backstory:

**Eugene, Oregon**

**March 14**

**Years before the Dimensional War**

There is a mailbox that said 'Mitchell' in front of a cornfield next to a paved road. Following up the road is a farmhouse under the Oregon sky. Next to the house is a human little boy playing in the field.

Voice- _**Before he'd died, my dad told me every soldier has two families.**_

_**Those you raised.**_

The boy went to the front of his house holding toy plane and faces it toward the sun.

Then, everything turned into darkness with rumbling explosion in the night sky. A real C-47 is flying in midair; standing in the doorway is Lieutenant Red in pony form, looking out the doorway into the night sky, ready to take part of recapturing Equestria.

**D-Day**  
**June 6**

**0030 hours**

_**And those that you raised hell with.**_

Red looked inside the plane on his right, facing Twilight Sparkle who nodded.

_**I never asked to lead the squad.**_

On his right, his brother Captain Ace yelled out to him, "Red! Stand in the door!"

_**But I have no choice.**_

All around them, more C-47 appeared, flying in formation, dodging anti-aircraft fire from the ground. A plane next to them took a direct hit, it wing tail snapped of the plane and its paratroopers started flying out of the back.

_**I can't remember the last time my dreams weren't about everything that happened in Equestria**_

**Carentan**  
**June 9**

**D+2**

**0945 hours**

_**When it was good.**_

Private Allen took out a silver-coated Colt .45 and said to his friend Garnett, "You sure I couldn`t hock this in camp?"

"Allen, it said Matthew on the side." Garnett replied, walking up to him.

Allen looked at the side of the gun then said, "So? There a load of Matthew around here. Matthew who want a gaudy sliver pistol."

"Let`s me see it." said Garnett, as Allen handed him the gun.

"Holy hell," Garnett exclaimed, holding the pistol, "This gun weighed a ton. You could put a hole in Superman with this."

"Nothing could put a hold in Superman." Allen responded with a seer.

SSG Grim walked past them, saying, "That thing could."

_**Dreams I couldn`t forget**_

**Carentan**  
**June 10**  
**D+3**  
**1014 hours**

Fluttershy looked around her as Allen and Garnett lays dead then screamed into the air, "Red!"

The Equestrian squad ran down the road toward Fluttershy, passing dead bodies of Moratins that were sprawling across the ground and stopped in front of her. They are in disbelief of what they are seeing.

Red approaches Fluttershy slowly as Fluttershy fell on her knee and cries.

"I`m so sorry." She sobs.

Red went down on one knee, dropped his Stoner, looked behind him then back at Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy? What happened?" Red said, slowly.

_**The truth tore Grim apart when he'd learn about it.**_

**Somewhere near Knight Wood**  
**June 13**  
**D+7**  
**1447 hours**

They are under fire from the Moratins. Red is on the ground, wounded behind a log as Grim ran up to the log with uncontrollable rage, firing the .45 at them, screaming, "You want me? Fucking take me! TAKE ME!"

_**Grim kept it at the end of the mission.**_

A Panzer round exploded in front of Grim, forcing him backward and killing him instantly.

_**And his life.**_

A shrapnel from the shell skin through Red forehead, leaving him a bloody gap.

**_There were heroes born._**

**Carentan causeway**

**June 11**

**D+5**  
**0830 hours**

Hiding in the ditch with Colonel Cole who said to them, "We wait for the smoke to build. It its scream, shoot it! If it scream in Mortianian, shoot it again!"

**_There were things that happened after our victory in the region_**.

**Baupte**  
**June 15**  
**D+9**  
**0812 hours**

Peter is in the middle of the field as they advance, waving and yelling. Then, a bullet came by and clipped his right ear. Peter fell to the ground, holding on to his ear and screaming in agony.

_**And there were things that happened way before.**_

**Eugene, Oregon**  
**October 6**

The boy walked up to his dad in the kitchen, holding a case and said to him, "Mom said I couldn`t keep this. Sorry Dad." and handed it to him.  
His dad took the case, open it and inside it, is a silver-coated Colt .45 that on the side it's said, '_To Matthew; Brothers in Arms_'.

His dad stare at it for a few moments then closes it.

_**So much has happened.**_

Back at Knight Wood, Red is now on top of a Sherman tank, firing the .50 Cal. on the Moratins rear, killing several of them.

Also in the field is Twilight shouting to the Allied soldiers behind her, "Keep up the firing and we don`t die here!"

_**So much that happened.**_

**Knight Wood**  
**June 13**  
**1730 hours**

After the battle of Knight Wood, Red and Peter are lending against the Sherman rear, watching the day go by.

Peter said to Red, "You think you get all the credit again?"

"Definitely." Red replied, "Did anyone get killed in on the line?"

"Did you know about Grim?"

"Yes."

"No, no one got hit. It was a damn miracle."

Red looks down in disbelief over what happened to him in those past seven days.

_**So much had happened, and we were just getting started.**_


	2. Prologue

Prologue

_LOST_

Location: Unknown

Date: Unknown 

In the dark-filled red sky, a bell tower stands on top on a hospital. The sound of the fire and the booming in the air was pierce by another sound of a mare screaming, which was follow by a gunshot, then a series of it.

On the ground and walking at the front small stairway that led up to the hospital is Red, holding his .45 as he passed the bodies of Moratins and silently looks at a dead mare on the stair, sprawling across the ground, her white coat was splatter by the redness of her own blood. Resting on top of her head is a WWII GI helmet that she was wearing as Red passed her body and enters the hospital.

Somewhere in the city, the rest of the Equestrian squad rushes down the street, fires everywhere. They stopped and examine around them, trying to look for their leader but it was hard with the fires and the smoke everywhere.

"Where is he?" Applejack asked when she stopped.

"I don't know but my eye is burning." Rarity replies by running one of her eye.

In front of them, Twilight thought a bit then said, "Doesn't matter. Keep looking." And they all push forward through the burning city.

At the hospital, Red slowly walks up a stair and found a stallion at the top of the stair, clutching his bloody chest.

"I'm sorry, Red." The stallion said, gasping for air.

Red kneels down in front of him and said, "No, it okay. You did good."

The dying stallion cough out blood as he said in a raspy voice "Did she…. Did she makes it out… okay?"

Red thought for a moment then says almost in a whisper, "Yeah. She's okay."

The stallion studied him for a moment, looking at him in the eyes and mutter, "Liar."

What Red didn't notice is a Moratin walking up behind him, rifle pointing at his back.

Before he could pull the trigger, he was shot repeatedly from behind and fall forward, revealing Peter pointing at carbine with smoke trailing out from his gun.

He put it down and nodded toward Red. Red nodded back and when he turned back to the dying stallion, the stallion look at him one final time then slump to the side, dead. His arm falls beside to his bloody M-1 Grease gun.

Peter walked up next to Red as Red reach out and took the stallion dog tag and held it between his hooves and against his lip as he was kissing it.

Peter put his hoof on Red shoulder and watches Red put the dog tag in his pocket and stand up next to Peter. They were about to start heading down the stair when a bomb exploded above them, causing the ceiling to collapse. Red and Peter ran down the stair as the woods crashes on top of the stallion dead body. They look back up and at that moment, Red couldn't take it as he back up against a wall bend his head down.

_Why is this happening?_ He thought, overcome his guilt and despair.

Then he heard Peter calling out to him, "Red, he's gone. Red look at me."

Red looks up and sees Peter holding out his hoof to him, "Red, we need to get out of here. Let's get back with the other."

He took Red hoof and helps him to his hooves.

"Come on, I know the way." Peter said and Red follows him.

They were walking down a hallway that had glass on one side when a bomb landed near enough to shatter the glass.

Everything seem to be in slow-motion as Red yelled "Move!" and they ran down the hallway together, with more bombs landing nearby.

They reach to the end of the hallway and stop to catch their breath.

"That was one hell of a run." Peter said and Red nodded.

They continue forward when they saw movement in a room up ahead. They look at each other and walk into the room, readying their guns.

It was a big room with tables in the middle and medical equipments scattered all over the place. As Red walk, a glass bottle next to him shatters as a group of Moratin enters the room.

"Contact!" Peter yelled as they took cover and fire at the group.

Moonlight peered through the windows as they took out the group.

They ran down into another hallway and stop at a double door. Before Red could open it, a Moratin burst through the door, his whole body on fire as he scream in agony and fell to the ground. Peter watch in horror as Red went over to the burning pony and put a bullet through the Moratin head, ending his life. Red and Peter went through the door and run down the hallway and stop mid-between when the light above them flicker off.

"Red," Peter begin, worried, "Oh, Red. The people. All those innocent civilians."

Red didn't say anything as he went continue down the hallway. He entered a theater and stop in the middle of it when he heard a howling sound above him. Red look up at the skylight, his eyes reflected from the light when a bomb crash through the dome and it tail fin caught the steel frame and was hanging above the ground.

Red fell to the floor when the bomb came through and was trying to get up when a Moratin officer and two enlisted men walk up in front of him, gun pointing.

Red lifted up his .45 in response, aiming for their head.

Not far from him, Peter went into the theater to investigate what going on and stop when a gun flashes in front of his eyes.

Then, a black out….

**4 days earlier**

High above the highland and out of cloud cover, a C-47 Dakotas came into view, towing a CG Wilco glider along behind it. Next to it and around it, are more planes and gliders as they are heading their way to the drop zone.

On one of the glider and sitting on the driver seat, is 2nd Lieutenant Red as a four-man team from his squad is sitting on either side of the glider as their jeep, Venda, rest in the middle. They are now part of Operation Market-Garden and they are going to try to open up a pass in the Highland that will lead them to the Crystal Mountain.

Red-_ What is it that make a great soldier. Is it his brain? Or his heart. My dad asks me that as the age of seven at a breakfast table one day. He said it a choice on which you choose to believe. I had to keep it in mind because he never told me the goddamn answer. He's the smartest man I ever knew. _

While Red is thinking about this, another flashback occurs…

March Air Field

Near Ponyville

September 16

Two P-51 Mustangs fighter plane flew over the airfield as Red walk down toward the field tent with Rainbow Dash, talking to her about the new team they'll be setting up in the squad.

"I can't have him, he too young." Rainbow says as they pass a truck full of ammo boxes, "I might as well get him kill."

"Come on, you wanted to be squad leader so I'd put him in as a test." Red said, "Beside, you were doing so well as leading other people in situation."

"That was one time!" Rainbow exclaimed as Angel was walking down the runway when Jasper hit him in the back of the head and shouted, "Hey there carrot!"

"Don't call me carrot." Angel said as a newly replacement, Friar who will be Jasper bazooka assistant, said to him, "You have the name 'carrot' on the back of your jacket."

"That was his idea." Angel pointed at Jasper who has walked over to Peter and Rarity and stand next to their jeep, Venda, and Peter's jeep.

"So tell me again," Jasper ask Peter, "Why we want white paint?"

"The Moratin are scared of zebras so I want us to look sharp once we go in." Peter replies back with glee, "You think you can find some?"

"Wilco." Jasper said as he walked away.

When Peter and Rarity are walking toward a tent, Rarity said to herself, "Where Zacora when you need her?"

They enter a tent where an argument between ponies that are playing a card game or some sort.

"What going on here?" Peter said once he saw the opening of the argument.

One of the soldiers from Peter's squad, PFC Paige, pointed at Twilight, "She cheated! Trying to slip a card from under the table."

"I did not!" Twilight protested, "I don't even get what this game is all about!"

"Guys," Peter says, trying to break up the argument, "We fight the enemy, not each other. Now all I can say is that once we get in there, we'll punch through the line, punch straight to Arnhem, punch every Moras bastards, punch Ace in the face and be home by Christmas."

"You mean the Heartwarming celebration?" Twilight asked.

Peter look at her with confusion then nodded, "Yeah, yeah. We'll go with that."

Seeing that the air is friendly, Peter was about to leave when Pinkie said to Paige, "Hey Paige! If you want to have a four in the row." She set down her card to reveal four aces, "Keep yourself a spare."

"Oh, goddamn it Pinkie!" Marsh whined as LaRoach next to him said, "There goes my paycheck."

While Pinkie collected her bits with an evil laughter, Peter walk down the airfield when he spotted Jasper with two cans of white paint.

"Jasper, you got the paint?" Peter asks.

"WILCO!" Jasper acknowledges and follows Peter to one of the jeep as he said to him, "You never know how much it is for me to get this."

Once they got to the jeep, Red was calling everyone to form up around him.

When he got everyone around him, Red clears his throat then said, "Alight, I don't do speeches that are all Aces' thing. But tonight we're going into the Highland, and to open up a goddamn highway. So hit the mess and get some sleep. It'll be the last you'll ever need."

Back at the present, Red stare out of the glider window when in front of the V-formation they're in, C-47s are cutting the cable line attaches to the gliders so the gliders can move freely and glide to the ground. When their line is cut, Red glider slowly went down to the ground as it passes some farmhouses scattered across the acres.

"The ground is getting fucking close!" Marsh said to Angel as Angel replies, "We'll be fine!"

"How do you know?" Marsh asks as the ground outside is coming up fast.

Red-_ What is it that make a great soldier. Is it his brain? Or his heart._

The ground went up with a thud as the glider touches down and skid across a fielding it landed on. Ahead of then is a huge oak tree that they are propelling toward so Red hit the break and hold on to it as the glider slowly stop, with it nose touching the bark of the tree.

Once they stop, the ponies inside the glider climb out and open the back of the glider to get the jeep out. Red directed Twilight, Marsh and Angel and LaRoach to get the jeep out as he watches other gliders landing nearby. The rest of the squad are in another gliders and somewhere out there in the landscape.

They got the jeep out and jump in as Marsh drives it and led them down a trail that went between the two fields where gliders and supply parachutes are landing all over the place.

They cut around a corner and Red spotted another group of his squad off the side of the road, getting their jeep out and getting ready to follow them.

The squad he commanded has been split into three different team, Fire team, Assault team and the Support team.

The Fire team is the group that gives out the base of fire, or suppression on the enemy. This team consisted LaRoach and Rarity with Twilight leading them.

The Assault team is the group that attack, flank or charge the enemy with a heavier firepower than the Fire team. This team has Marsh, Angel with Rainbow leading them.

Lastly, this led down to the Support team, which has bigger guns and firepower than the two other teams combine. This team have Applejack and Pinkie, which they man the machine gun and Jasper and Friar, which they man the bazooka.

The only two people that are left out are Spike and Fluttershy because they choose to be non-combatant. Fluttershy is the squad medic and must be protected. Spike on the other hand, can support the teams with encouragement and occasionally will pick up a gun only when threaten.

The new change that has been placed into the squad is tactic and maneuvers. As Red has briefly told them, if they want to survive, they must learn to work together as a team.

One military they were taught is called the Four F's; Find Fix, Flank and Finish.

Find the enemy.

Fix the enemy with suppressive fire from the Fire or Support team.

Flank the enemy by sending the Assault to the side or rear.

Finish them off.

This tactic will work perfectly only that they never use. Another tactic is from Ace himself, "Fire one shot. It'll piss the enemy off to make the second shot count!"

Given that they now have jeeps, the Equestrian squad [or 3rd squad which they are] is now assigned to a newly formed 2nd recon platoon which they go out and locate the enemy and sometime attack them. In the platoon, Peter lead 2nd squad and Ace lead 1st squad and the platoon itself.

During this operation, Twilight team and the non-combatant group has been sent to land with Peter's squad so Red only have the Assault team and the Support team at his disposal as they stopped next to a gate and jump out of their jeeps to start their mission.


	3. Operation Market

Chapter 13

_OPERATION MARKET_

September 17

Eerde, Highland

0600 hours

The squad formed up around Red and he began to brief them their mission, "Alright listen up. We got two full objectives here. One, clear out the landing zone for the incoming gliders." He nodded toward Rainbow next to him, "That you and Jasper team. Also we need to find a stallion, he a resistance member and he's at a farmhouse somewhere around here."

"Isn't that farmhouse?" Applejack nodded at a farmhouse behind farm which is on the other side of a small hayfield.

Red look at it then back to his squad, "Yeah, that it. That me, Applejack and Pinkie. We'll bring the MG. Hop to it."

Red the other mantle over a fence and disappear into a cornfield then begins to lead the MG team toward the farmhouse that Applejack pointed out. It not much of a field though, but has small group of hay and some sheep that is just gazing on the grass, not bothering what happening around them.

They reached the farmhouse and when they got there, a stallion wearing a black suit and a hat stepped out from the house and greeted them by waving them over.

"Hello, I'm Nova, here," he handed Red a makeshift map with dotted line, "it not a lot but I've managed to find some Moratin position it…"

He was interrupted but Pinkie who exclaimed, "Whoa, he nice!"

Nova blushed as he continues, "Yes. Now I must go return to my son, Sweetcandy. He wanted to fight very badly once I'm out. Careful, there are some Moratins on the other side of this wall. This is all I can help you. Good luck Lieutenant Red."

Nova then walk out to the clearing where Red and the other came and disappeared, leaving them to deal with the Moratins. Three Moratins are standing on the other side of a low stonewall and did not notice Red and the MG team setting up right behind them. Before they have time to realize what behind them, Red shouted out an order and mow down the three enemy soldiers.

They went through a small street and came across a windmill.

"Now we got a map." Applejack asked as they got to the side of the windmill, "What do we do now?"

Red look around then at the windmill. He need to find a high ground to observe the area around them and said, "Wait right here."

The sound of gunfire and explosion fill the distance as Red climb a little stair and reach the highest point of the windmill and began to look around. Down below in front of him is a group of Moratins patrolling the area in front of another farmhouse and a stable. Something on his right caught his eyes on a small hill next to them and spotted a squad of paratroopers moving up the hill and into the surrounding areas. In the sky above him, a C-47 flew over a drop a load of paratroopers into the sky and they float gently to the ground and disappeared from view behind the tree line.

To Red, that their rally point for the regiment assembly that they have to reach.

The Moratin on the ground saw the floating paratroopers and walk over to the direction they landed, leaving the area unguarded.

Red went down from the windmill, told his team of what he saw and happened and leads them through the area toward the farmhouse.

They enter it and soon realized it empty after they secure the upper level. Red went downstairs and found Applejack looking at a family photo of two children and their parent.

"I wonder what happened to `em." She asked, setting down the photo back on the drawer and look at the other photo, "These ponies got the will to live' when all this happen all of the sudden."

Red was about to stay something when he heard the back door slam and some hoof step from the kitchen.

Red and Applejack begin to think it was Pinkie when Pinkie ran down the stair next to them and exclaimed, "Guys! They're outside!"

Whoever in the kitchen stop moving and before anyone else could react, Red open up and fire through the wall at the kitchen. They heard the body drop and could see the kitchen through the bullet holes on the wall. Then, bullets rippled everywhere around them as the Moratins outside opened fire at the house.

Applejack and Pinkie ran into the kitchen, set up their MG on the windowsill and fire at the backyard where the Moratins is at. They repel the attack and walked out with Red into the backyard and the field, now litter with dead bodies. They cross the field and reach a little trail that run parallel with the tree line.

"Well, that was fast." Pinkie said as they hit the trail and take it course downward, "We weren't having this kind of fight back at the region."

"That because we don't even know what we're doing." says Applejack, "and the Moratins were smart enough not to stand around like a bunch of idiots and wait to get slaughter."

They climb a slope and found themselves staring into a forest where paratroopers are milling around, getting everything organized, regrouping and collecting supply bags.

"Red!" came a voice. Red looks down and spotted Ace waving him over and standing next to their regiment commander, Colonel Cole.

Red and his team reaches them and walk with them to the center of the forest when Ace said, "I know they sent you guys on recon." Then he speak directly to Cole, "Sir, these soldiers are."

"Red?" Cole said, not looking at Ace, "Yeah, I remember. I'm not so great with name but certainly heard your after D-Day. But I got a job if you are up to it. The division is sending in a whole mass of gliders coming in from the southwest and I need you guys to clear the landing for them. I've already radio in your guys to bring in the jeeps so you won't have to walk the whole way."

Sitting on the driver seat is Jasper honking the horn at some passing soldiers, "In some random pony world, the horn still mean get out of my fucking way." then he looks at Cole, embarrass, "Sorry, sir."

Next to him, Rainbow places her radio pack on the back of the jeep and exclaimed, "We're ready whenever you are, Red!"

Before Red could leave, Ace asked Red, "Before you go, can I borrow Twilight and Jasper?"

"Why?"

"Because my squad doesn't come in till the next wave and I need men to clear out a village."

Red look at Twilight who is talking to her friends that came in then said, "Fine. But don't get her killed."

Ace smiled, "I won't."

Leaving their jeeps on the side of the road and walking toward a hill, Rainbow said to those around her, "How good is our Intel? Do we know that the Moratins will be attacking the gliders? Seem like a foolish move."

In front of her, Marsh reply with a snigger, "We don't know for sure that why it called 'recon'."

"Yes, I'm quite aware of the ramification. We protect the brass by dying first. I understand."

"The Gospel according to Rainbow!" Marsh laugh when a glider came over low and crash through trees, it wings snapped off as it hit the ground on the other side of the hill.

"Holy shit, did you see that!" LaRoach says as they came up the slope of the hill, "I bet nobody survive that!"

They climb up and see Moratins soldiers attacking the downed glider as well as other gliders on the field.

"What are we waiting for? Let get 'em!" Rainbow yelled and they went down the hill and attack the Moratins from the rear.

As far as he could tell, Red could see dead glider men laying out of the gliders or inside it as the survivors take cover behind the rubble.

They stopped the Moratins from attacking and cause them to retreat as the squad reach the gliders and help the survivors out.

While Fluttershy help the wounded, Red order his squad and the glider men to set up a defensives perimeter around the field and wait for the rest of the gliders to land.

"Okay," Red begin to tell them as they set up the perimeter, "The Moratins will attack at any moment so don't let them get through."

About ten minutes later, the Moratins has attack like Red predicted and they begin to fight back for the rest of that morning.

By the quarter to twelve, they got back to the assembly area after defending the landing to receive their next mission. They found Twilight and Jasper teams sitting beside a tree and they look like they came out of a dumpster and they were exhausted.

"Oh my, what happen to you?" Rarity asked them when they came over, holding their snots because they can't withstand they smell coming out of them.

Twilight look at them, tired as she was, then said in a raspy voice, "Ace was trying to kill us."

Red shook his head and walk over to the command tent that was pitched in the middle of the forest and that is the regiment CP.

"I understand why nopony want to be around Ace," Twilight begin to say, coughing a bit, "It seem that Ace don't even know how to prevent other from dying that fast."

"Well listen here," Applejack explain, "on what Red has told me, Ace will just get everypony killed no matter how many times they'd told him, he just doesn't care about anypony he was leading in the first place."

"Now I felt sorry for those guys in Ace's squad." Rainbow said when Red came over to them and announcement, "Get ready. We're going up with the 506th to open up a bridge that crosses a river."

The other groan and curses then got up, replenish their ammo and canteen and soon follow Red and other squads out of the forest to link up with the 506th.

This operation has been going smoothly but will soon change once the Moratins redirect themselves and attack the way they should be.


	4. Five oh' Sink

Chapter 14

FIVE OH' SINK

September 17

0300 hours

Son, Highland

The Equestrian squad and the entire 506th regiment are now heading their way toward the village of Son to capture a main bridge there that will lead them to the city of Eindhoven. This bridge crosses the Wilhelmina Canal that they needed to take for XXX Corp armored vehicles on which they will go up the road, cross another bridge which is control by the 82nd Airborne and up to Arnhem, which is the gateway to the Crystal Mountain, which are control by the British 1st Airborne Division and Equestrian 42nd Airborne Brigade. Not only that, the 101st jobs is to secure vital towns and bridges and protect this 10-miles highway that connect them and the 82nd. The importance of Eindhoven is for the linkup of the 101st and XXX Corp. But that won't happen yet once the paratroopers take control of the bridges of Son and at another village called Best. The local told the Allies intelligence that the Moratins had planted explosives on the bridge at Son. It only the matter of time for the 506th to capture it before the Moratins could light the fuse.

Marching down the road, the 506th is doing their order of March; 3rd Battalion up front, 1st Battalion on the sides and 2nd Battalion on the rear as they're near the village

The Equestrian squad is in the 2nd platoon from their regiment and was attached to E Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th regiment, leading the way to the village.

When they hit the outskirt, they notice that the surrounding area is deserted. They spread out, keeping contact with one another with they begin to receive some small-arm fire up ahead,

"Return fire!" Red shouted at his squad as they took covers and fire at a stable houses Moratin infantry.

They fought their way down through the street and started to engage into a house-to-house fighting with some of the Moratins that took refuge in the houses that lined the street.

There was an enemy machine gun nest in a second-story window in front of them that stop the advance and the Allied begin to inflict casualties.

Hiding behind a wall, Red notice Jasper and Friar on the other side of the street and shouted at them, "Jasper! Take out that MG!"

Jasper nodded and nudged Friar next to him to follow.

They both broke cover then ran across a small yard to the house where the MG is located. As they took cover behind a stonewall that was in front of the house, Jasper aim his M1A1 bazooka at the MG while Friar load the rocket through the back of the tube, connect the fuse and clear the back-blast. When he finish, he patted the back of Jasper helmet to mention him it ready.

Jasper then squeezes off the trigger and fire the rocket.

The rocket zooms across the air, away from Jasper and toward the MG. It didn't hit it directly, but it hit the bottom of the windowsill, enough to kill the crew.

With that out of action, the company and 2nd platoon continue their advance and take out any Moratins forces around them.

While they move, the Equestrian squad went through an alleyway to reach another street.

They stop in the middle of it as Red take out his map and explain them the situation, "Okay, if we encounter heavy resistance, I want you to position here, here and here." He said, pointing at the map.

But some of the squad members couldn't pay any attention because they are getting hit by apples thrown by the locals from a balcony above them.

After getting hit the third time, Angel hold his helmet and said, "What are they doing?"

"They're thanking us." Twilight replied with a smile.

Pinkie looks up at the local and shouted, "Your welcome!" and waved at them.

"Alright, let's keep going." Red said and they all went out into the street. Down the street is the bridge and begin to move toward it when they were quickly greeted by the locals that came out of their houses from both sides to meet their liberators. Another Allied squad came by and makes the same opposition as they pry their way toward the bridge.

"Now this is what I called living." LaRoach said when he receives kisses from a couple of mares and foods.

The locals continue to gives the newcomers' foods and drinks as the crowd grew so large.

A priest walks up to Red and hugged him, "Welcome, welcome. We are so happy to see you!" he offers Red a bottle of wine. "Care for a drink?"

"No thanks." Red said, shaking his head side to side.

Nearby, Angel accepted a wine of bottle and said to Marsh next to him, "I could get use to this."

Jasper took the bottle away from him, "You're not old enough to drink."

"Why? You think it'll kill me?" Angel was beginning so say when a house next to them exploded, knocking them down to the ground.

On the other side of the bridge, a Moratin major put down his binocular as the artillerymen next to him eject a casting, load another round into their 88mm gun and aim at the crowd and fire.

The round exploded not far from Twilight as the crowd scatters and take were under machine guns and rifles fire. Twilight spotted Red buck open a gate and yelled for his squad to get in. Two soldiers were hit as other soldiers return fire as Twilight ran and got through the gate, where she found Angel trying to help a wounded priest that was with Red earlier.

The priest lost both of his hind legs that goes up to his ankles as a pool of blood was forming around him. The priest face grew pale as Angel hold on to the priest hoof and calmly said to him, "It okay! Everything is alright. We'll going to get you out of here!"

He looks around and asks, "Where is Fluttershy!"

"She's on the side of the road getting the wounded out." Marsh said from the corner of the wall on his right.

Rainbow went over and places her hoof on his shoulder, "Angel, we got to move."

"No!" Angel protested, pushing her hoof away, "We got to stay with him. I think he'll make it!"

Rainbow, feeling angry with Angel who is disobey her order, grabbed Angel by the jacket, pull him up and pushes him against the wall and said to him, gritting her teeth, "When I gives the order you follow it or you die. He's dead and there is nothing we could do about it. You got that?"

Angel didn't say anything. Rainbow let go from him and walk away as Angel looks at the dead priest that he try so hard to save. Tears welled up to his eyes as he shook them away and looks up and found Red staring at him and walk past him without looking at him.

Red rejoins his squad in the garden at the back of the house when they are taking machine gun fire from a café through the opening of a wall in front of them.

"I can't get at him without getting hit!" Twilight yelled as bullets kicked up clog of dirt in front of her as she takes cover next to the wall opening.

Red carefully observes his position and the machine gun distance and yelled, "Jasper!"

The bazooka team moved up from their cover behind the gate wall but was soon pinned down.

"I can't get a better shot sir!" Jasper then said, clutching his bazooka, "We got to try something else!"

Next to him, Pinkie thought for a moment then exclaimed, "How about this?" and reaches for a smoke grenade canister on her left shoulder.

"No!" everyone yelled and tried to stop her but too late, Pinkie already reached for the pin, pulled it, and now smoke started to come out of the canister. Big white of smoke drifted unsteadily on the Equestrian squad, with Pinkie screaming, "Weee!"

The smoke blocked the Moratins view of the Allied soldiers and they stopped firing, swinging their gun left and right when a grenade was thrown at them and landed in the middle of the two Moratins that were manning the gun. They scream 'grenade' in German and exploded into pieces as the grenade explode, leaving nothing but broken machine gun parts and charred pieces of meat.

Dashing through the smoke and into the café, Red stopped behind a door that led out into the street and see Allied soldiers rushing past him at the direction of the bridge and well under fire.

Red took a deep breath then ran out into the street, dodging bullets and bodies that were fallen in front of him. He reaches the other side and took cover behind a cart with Peter who said to him, "I've counted thirty Moras, plus a mobile 88 that Sink never told us about."

Red looks over the cart and spotted the bridge is only about 30 yards ahead of them and saw the 88mm gun fire at them and hit the ground on there right but narrowly missing them. In front of that 88 is a fence where the Moratin infantry is at, firing at them.

Red got back down and said to Peter, "Want to make a dash for it?"

Peter nodded, "On three. One"

They position themselves for a run.

"Two"

They ready their weapons as they waited for the jump-off.

"Three!"

They dash out into the street, follow by other as they make the run for the bridge.

When they're about to reach the foot of the bridge, the bridge itself exploded, sending up million of debris into the air follow by the concussion by the blast, which knock everyone to the ground.

Red hit the ground on his back with a thud and realized what just happened. It has been a setup. The Moratins only sent out their troops to slow the advancing Allied and they did it successfully.

Red was about to get back up when he spotted out in the blue sky, a piece of a metal frame spin high into the high and was spinning back down toward him!

Red rolled to his left, right when that piece of frame stabbed through the place where Red has once been and barely touches his snot. Red look at it between his eyes and thought to himself, _now that a hell of a ways to die in combat!_

Peter went over to him and help him up with a remark, "You've spend a lot of time on the ground than Jasper's sister!"

"Fuck you Peter!" Jasper yell at him and behind them Colonel Sink arrived on the scene and was having a hell of a time as he yelled quickly, "Damn, you sonofbitches got us this time. Get me on the horn to Captain Wilder to send up those engineers! You boys need to take them out now!"

Peter and Red look at each other, shrugged and lead their troops into the water to get to the other side of the river.

Red splashes into the water, and held his gun high above his head to keep them dry as bullets splashes around him. A soldier in front of him got hit by a mortar and flew high into the air, with his helmet splashing in front of Red. Another next to Red was hit in the face by a bullet and spray blood to those behind before he went underwater. Then, a mortar hit in front of Red, sending him and a few other soldier underneath. What Red saw underwater was like a ballet; pieces of metal, weapons and a cut-off arm floated past him. Few soldiers around him got hit and a pool of blood rises off those bodies and float to the surface. What Red also saw is a reading glasses….

Red resurfaces and was just in time to see his squad and that of Peter's squad attacking the Moratins line and killing them all. Red climb up the river embankment and took cover behind the picket fence. Something occurs to him…

"What are you doing behind a fence!" he screams at his squad above the roaring of the battle.

"This is the only cover we can find!" Twilight replied back by keeping her head low.

"Can it protect us from the 88?" To prove Red point, a 88 round hit the fence hit blew two of Peter's men away, leaving a giant gap on the fence.

This actually got the two squad's moving and finds a better cover.

Hiding behind a two-story brick house, Red wait for the 88 to fire than order Twilight and the Support team to fire at the 88. "Keep them off us!" he told them and rallies his Assault team and that of Peter's squad to follow him and flank the Moratins positions. With Applejack's machine gun fire and Jasper's bazooka fire and those of other who are helping with the suppression, the Moratins on the 88 cannot fire with so many rounds hitting them. Seeing his chance, Red and Peter directed their squad to the side of the positions and to the side of a house, where small group of Moratins were waiting for them. After wiping them out with few casualties, the Allied got to the back of the 88 and fire at them in a firing-squad.

All the Moratins in the area retreated or surrender once they took out the 88.

After the area is cleared, Red and Peter walk to the destroyed bridge with Red telling Peter, "Well, there goes our bridge."

On the other side of the river, Sink step next to the embankment, wave for their attention and shouted, "How are you going to get across the river?"

With the river flowing in a loud noise and the two stallions couldn't hear clearly because of the fighting, Red said to Peter, "What did he say?"

"I don't know," Peter said by rubbing his left ear, "My ears are still ringing."

Red turned back to Sink and yell, "What?"

"I said," Sink yelled back angrily, "How the Sam hells are you going to get across the river?"

"Okay, I've defiantly heard him say 'liver'" says Peter, still misheard Sink.

"Maybe he's drunk." Red suggested.

Peter smiled then yelled at Sink, "Sir, we will swim across the liver!"

Red punches Peter in the shoulder and waited for the response.

"Okay!"

Red and Peter laugh as they turn away from Sink and walk away from him. While they're walking toward their squad, Peter said to Red, "You know brass these days."

"Yeah." Red agreed as he slings his Stoner over his shoulder, "Tells me about it."


	5. Crossroad

Chapter 15

_CROSSROAD_

September 18

0623 hours

Near St. Oedenrode, Highland

The 506th regiment has finally crossed the Son Bridge and is now heading their way to the city of Eindhoven when they were stopped by a mass concentration of the Moratins forces that stand between them and the vital city. In between of the two forces is a small town of St. Oedenrode that is rest on the highway from Eindhoven all the way up to Arnhem. While the rest of the regiment went around the town and attack in some other places, 2nd Battalion has been elected to attack and capture St. Ordenrode.

Sitting against a wall, Red thought about the attack or at some point, other things when Marsh and Friar went up and sat down on either side of him with Marsh asking, "Hey Red, want some coffee?"

Red was about to accept when Twilight came by and told Red, "Red, Ace want to see you at the command tent."

Red look at Marsh and Friar then got up and walk to the direction of the tent. As he was walking, some of his squad mates were standing around preparing and talking at the same time.

Red heard Applejack ask Angel does he believe in fate.

"Oh, not this again," LaRoach complain as he turn around and leave, "I'm getting some of that coffee."

"What?" Applejack said, "I'm serious."

Angel answered her with a shrug, "I honestly don't know AJ, people die and all that…"

Red walk by Jasper and Rarity against a wall with Rarity making a grunt, "Urgh, what the whole point of carrying around a six and a half pound machine gun everywhere you go?"

Jasper went wide eyes as he said to her, "Do you live in a fantasy land? Is it nice up there? I'm carrying a goddamn bazooka!"

Red reaches the command tent when he spotted the regimental surgeon, Gideon, standing next to Cole new jeep, head bow on the body on top of the jeep.

Red doesn't understand this when he got into the tent and found Ace, sitting on the ground, head bent.

"Is that?" Red begins to say as he pointed at the jeep outside but was cut off Ace said to him, "It… Cole."

"Wait… what?" Red said, alarmed.

Ace knew what Red was going to say and begin slowly, "It happened this morning at the Zonsche Forest… we were under attack…"

Bullets and shells hit around them as a soldier crawl up next to a log and cough out blood. Next to him, other soldiers are protected in a ditch with a log on top of it when a radioman yelled into his field phone, "This is Able Green. We are pinned down. We need help!"

Down the ditch is Cole, firing out into the woods in front of him when mortars landed around them and he yelled at the radioman, "Bob, keep screaming into that radio and keep your head down!"

The radioman nodded and screams into his radio, "This is Able Green! Can anyone hear me?"

Cole yelled at him again, "Bob! I said keep your head down."

A mortar exploded in the ditch and Cole found his radioman body blew in half, smoke rising from his body.

Ace- _He ran out into the open to direct some panels to call in some air supports._

Red- _Why does he do that?_

Ace- _I don't know, but it seem a right thing to do._

Standing in front of the signals panels, Cole waved into the air as Ace and a few other soldiers fired, providing covers for Cole when a sniper bullet went and hit Cole square in the head, killing him.

Ace- _We stopped the attack and while we were moving._

Ace broke into an old farmhouse and found tally marks sketch on a windowsill.

Ace- _He was there but was gone. I knew it was the sniper that killed Cole._

After Ace finished his story, Red was too stunned to move. It was a moment of silence before he could gather up his thought and said, "So, Major Longjump," the 502nd XO, "is taking command again?"

Ace responded quickly, "This is the third time that happened in the regiment. It seem like we're just wasting our battalion staff for nothing. If we kept this up, the company will go down to private and buck private."

Red didn't say anything and he walk right out of the tent and didn't look at the dead commander as he walks by. He thought someone should share his grief and he knows who that someone is.

After breaking the new to Peter at a supple tent, Peter shook his head side to side as he said, "This doesn't make any sense, why would he do that kind of thing?"

"I don't know," says Red, "To Ace, it seem the right thing to do."

"To me it isn't"

"What do you mean?"

Peter sighed and look at Red from the side of a table, "Why risking a commanding officer when he shouldn't be up there in the first place. To me, Cole got himself killed for no reason."

This made Red angry as he slammed his hooves hard on the table surface, "How many men did he save by sacrificing himself, 10's? 30's? Now look at you, I don't see you do a goddamn thing to everyone including your family."

"Don't you dare bring up my family you-," Peter was about to finish his sentence when Ace walk in and ask them "Is everything okay in here?"

Peter glare angrily at Red as he replies, "Yeah, everything is fine."

Ace look between the two soldiers and he said, "I don't know what up with you two and I don't to know about it. But I seriously won't allow this in my platoon, go that?"

"Yes, sir." They both said, still looking angrily at each other.

"Okay then," Ace said as he looks at Red and Peter, "Major Horton," the 2nd Battalion CO, "is sending platoon up to the town and I want you two to be part of it. Not only that, there something going up on the side of the town and I want you boys to check it out, understood?"

They both nodded, this time looking away from each other.

Ace expected a counter fit, receive none, and then walk out of the tent, leaving the two stallions in the tent to go and prepare their squads and join a recon force in St. Oedenrode.

After crossing a shallow ditch and into a pasture, the 2nd platoon, plus the 506th recon platoon, enters a graveyard that is on the outskirt of the town.

After entering, they were getting small-arms fire from Moratins coming out of their troop's trucks.

When he yells for a suppressive fire, Red ran to the left side of a mausoleum hiding behind a tombstone and firing at the same time. Behind the stone, Red shouted for his squad to move up when something hit him, not physically but mentally.

Red was moving between tombstones when he saw him, shooting the .45 and screaming, "You want me? Fucking take me. TAKE ME!" then he flew back through Red, causing him not just falling backward but were in shock.

Seeing his leader down, Angel ran over to Red and helps him up, saying, "Sir! Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Red nodded. It got to be Grim ghost, reenacting the same way like he died back at that forest. Or was Red hallucinating?

Having a lot of firepower pouring onto them, the Moratins retreated from their trucks, passing a church with a bell-tower on top.

"Cease fire, everyone cease fire!" shouted a 506th trooper, as they stop firing and move up, taking the place where the Moratins has once been.

At the side of the church, Red regroups his squad and said to them, "Alright, listen up, we'll spilt into two teams. I'll take Twilight to clear this church while the rest of you secure the surrounding area and hold off any counterattack that the Moratins throws at you. We'll here by twenty minutes. Any questions?"

Pinkie raised her arm, "I got one, I got one!"

"Yes Pinkie?"

"What a church?" she asked, smiling but also confused.

Red look at the church behind then at his squad as he replies, "Don't worry about it. Now, get moving."

They split up, Red and Twilight to the right side of the church while the rest of them went to the left. Red and Twilight go to the side of the church where a big wooded double door is. Twilight ran up to it and kicks it, only to cause pain on her leg.

"Ow!" Twilight bellowed, hopping all over the place.

Red just shook his head side to side, saying, "You know there a knob, right?"

"I knew that." Twilight replies in pain and limps over to the door, turn the knob and open it.

They went inside and discovered the church is under construction, pillar and wooded platform are hanging in the air above them supported by ropes dangling from the ceiling. In the middle of the church where the pews are, a radio is set up on a table in plain sight.

Twilight guesses that the Moratins left their equipments behind but Red said in a tone, "I don't think so."

They were halfway down the aisle between the pews, when a group of Moratins came in, saw them and attack.

Red and Twilight took cover behind a pew, splinters and cogs sprayed everywhere as Twilight took out her frag grenade and toss it at the Moratins only to bounce off a pillar and explode, leaving the Moratins unscathed.

"They're putting too much fire on us!" Twilight yelled when a bullet gazed her as she got up to fire, "What now?"

Red looks over their pew, carefully observing and said to Twilight, "Keep shooting! I'll try and flank them!"

"What? You're leaving me behind?" Twilight asked as Red was about to change cover.

He look at her and say, "Just shut up and shoot." And ran across the aisle on their left, moving around covers from covers as he attempt to flank them

Twilight spotted a Moratin behind a pillar take out a grenade and was about to throw it at her when she tagged him in the chest. The Moratin dropped his grenade and it exploded, killing any enemy soldiers that were also behind the surrounding covers. This lifted off the firing at Twilight as she move between cover and advance toward the middle of the church. Meanwhile, Red flanks the reminding Moratins and spray from their side, killing them all.

Red pointed at a stair to Twilight and together went up the stairs where they attack the Moratins between platforms in the air. After clearing them out, they found a corridor and were having another fight. After this intense firefight that involved with their heart pumping, hooves moving and shouting out commands, the two ponies found a ladder at the end of the corridor that lead up to the bell-tower.

"Let clear out the tower and link up with the other." Red said before he climb up the tower, soon follow by Twilight.

At the top of the ladder, Red open the trapdoor by using his magic and climb into a room. It was dark inside the top of the tower, with ropes hanging from the ceiling and the huge bell covered up most of the light. The only light available is a window that overlook the town. After Twilight go in, Red quietly walk around the room, pushing aside ropes when he found a sniper rifle on a corner next to the windowsill. On the windowsill are tally-marks that were drawn on the tab.

Red was about to take a closer when out from his right, a Moratin sniper, the same one that killed Cole, came out and attack him with a dagger. Red dodges the blade and strike back with the butt of his gun. The Moratin grab his Red gun by the stock and punch him in the face by the trench knife brass knuckle. Red let goes of his gun and fell to the floor, holding on to his bloody face. Standing by his side, the Moratin weld his dagger and, before he could make a fatal blow, Twilight came out from the side and attacks him. She disarm him, causing the dagger that stick blade first into the ground, and grab the Moratin by the throat and pushes him in front of the window and she said to him, "You're about to see your friends real soon." And shove him out the window. The Moratin scream as he drop to the ground from the tower, follow by a thud.

Twilight panted and went over to help Red up and said, "I got that one, huh?"

Red touched his wounded face with a response, "You know Twilight? I kinda think you went overkill."

"Twilight, you just overkill." Rainbow said as she looks at the dead Moratin that Twilight had pushed out. The Moratin on the ground is laying facedown, blood and buts spewed on either side of his body.

"That what he said." Twilight said by looking away.

The squad is now in a secured part of the town with only scattered gunfire that reminds them that the fighting is still going on at other part of the town. They need to get to their next objective and walk away from the church toward the direction where Ace directed to Red.

They cross a field on the west side of the town and took a road until they came across an intersection that have dikes on either side. The squad took cover in one of the dikes. There a machine gun fire on the crossroads in front of them, probably firing at the 506th in St. Ordenrode.

Red ordered Jasper, Friar and LaRoach to cover their rear as the squad advance to the next dike to get a firing position on the machine gun emplacement.

With their rear covered, Red led the squad to the north side of the dike and follows a two-by-two ditch that ran parallel along side the road down to the crossroads, keeping low and trying not to reveal themselves to the enemy.

Approximately 250 yards from the crossroads, Red again halted the squad and crawls up the ditch by himself to scout out the situation. As he got closer to the crossroads, he can hear voices and observed seven enemy soldiers, standing on top of the dike by the machine gun but they had not notice Red in the ditch because the sun is position just above Red so the sunlight is blocking the Moratin view from him. Red should thanks Celestia as he kept on crawling until he's about twenty-five yards behind them in the drainage ditch at the bottom of the dike.

He returned to his squad and informed them of the enemy dispositions.

The instruction is clear: "We must crawl up there with absolutely no noise, keep low and we must hurry."

"What if we did make some noise?" Pinkie asked Red.

"Just don't" Red replied and look at his watch.

He beginning to see that the sun is almost at it highest peak, which mean in full daylight, they will by detected. They must strike now.

The squad quietly crawls on their belly, not making any noises until they are in position about forty yards from the crossroads.

As they enter the ditch, Red instructed Applejack and Pinkie to set up their machine gun. Then he went to each pony and in a whisper assigned each target on the Moratin machine gun crew with the order to fire on his command.

When they are in position and ready to fire, Red stepped back a bit and raises his voice a bit louder, "Ready, aim, fire!"

The rifle fire is good, but their machine gun fired a bit high. In short order they accounted for all seven enemy soldiers.

When they eliminated the Moratins gun crew, they start receiving some light rifle fire from the east side of the roadway from the dike to the river next to them. Red immediately withdrew the squad down the same ditch they went up for 200 yards and got into another drainage ditch that ran parallel to the roadway from which they were receiving the rifle fire,

As they took cover, Red got one major problem. Because the Moratins on the other side of that roadway were at least a combat patrol-size and Red only have a small squad at his disposal, he needed some backup.

Red order Rainbow to radio Peter at the company CP down at St. Oedenrode to bring up 2nd Squad to give them additional firepower. Red also called in their rear guards to come up and support them.

At the same time, the squad received some rifle grenades fire from the direction of a culvert that ran under the road to the river. Without any direction, the squad immediately returned that fire and destroyed the Moratins positions.

In the ensuing exchange, Rarity was hit in the arm by shrapnel and Rainbow got shot in the shoulder as she tried to change positions.

While Fluttershy was tending the wounded and waiting for 2nd Squad to show up, Red went out about fifty yards alone into a field between the two lines to contemplate the situation they are facing.

After careful reflection, three things were immediately apparent;

First, the Moratins were behind a good solid roadway embankment, while his squad was in a shallow ditch with no safe route for withdrawal.

Second, the Moratins were in a good position to outflank the squad to the right and catch them in the open field.

And third, there was nothing south of the bank to stop the Moratins from moving down the road unmolested to the small group of the 506th at St. Oedenrode.

Under many circumstances, there is no way to retreat but to attack.

By the time 2nd squad arrived, it was already afternoon.

Red called Peter, Twilight and Applejack together and give them the following orders: "Twilight, take Angel, Marsh and half of Peter's squad to the left. Peter, take the reminding of your squad to the right and I'll take LaRoach, Friar and Jasper up the middle. Applejack, I want your machine gun placed between the columns and I want good covering fire until we reach that roadway. Then, lift your fire and move up and join us. Those who are wounded must give us some covering fire once we get up there. Peter, when everybody is in position, I'll give you the signal and you drop a smoke grenade to signal our jump-off."

Red then assembles his men who will be running with him. When he said, "Fix bayonets if you have it." Jasper took a big swallow as he drop his bazooka that will be left behind once Jasper run with only a pistol.

Red could see Jasper's Adam apple make a difficult trip up and down his throat. Jasper's adrenaline was flowing. Red adrenaline is pumping too and so does everyone else.

After everyone got into positions, Red gives the signal to Peter, who then nodded and took out his smoke grenade and tosses it into the field in front of them.

On the smoke signal, the base of fire commenced and all three columns started their gallop across the 175 to 200 yards of level field between them and the road, doing their best to keep low.

Red outpaced everyone of the field and got to the road first. When he leaped on top of it, right in front of him and only a few feet away, was a Moratin sentry with his head low, ducking from the incoming fire from Applejack machine gun.

To is right, Red could see out of the corner of his eyes, a solid mass of troops, more than a hundred, packed together, laying down at the juncture of the dike and the road. They too had their heads down to duck under from the machine gun fire. They were wearing long winter's overcoats and had their backpacks on. Every single one of them is facing the dike; Red is behind them from 15 meter away.

Red wheel and drop back to the west side of the road. He took out a frag grenade and lobs it over toward the sentry. Simultaneously, the sentry lobs a grenade back at him. The instant Red threw his grenade, he realize he had made a big mistake; he had forgotten to take off a band of tape around the handle of the grenade he kept there to avoid an accident.

After the sentry grenade went off, Red jump back up the road and found the sentry hunch down, covering his head with his arm, waiting for Red's grenade to go off.

Red shot him with his Stoner from his shoulder. The shot startle the Moratin company in front of him. The Moratins start to rise and turn toward Red, en masses.

Red pivoted to his right, switch his gun to single shot mode and fire into the solid mass. Everything was in slow motion as the fast fury leads hit the Moratins one by one.

Red empties the first clip which is about thirty round and still standing on the road, put in a second clip and, still shooting from the shoulder, empty that clip into the mass.

By now, most of the Moratins are starting to run away from him.

While the chaos hit the Moratins rank, Red drop back to the west side of the road and look to his right.

There he could see Twilight running crouch over while leading her column on the right. They are still 10 meters from the road.

Red's own column in the middle, was struggling through the field and Peter's column on the left was 20 meters short of the road, held up by some wires running across the field.

Red just shook his head side to side then put in his third clip and start popping up, taking a pot shot or two, then dropping back down.

The Moratins were running away as the best they could when the other allied columns reaches the road. When they reach Red, Red called out to them, "Fire at will!"

It was now a duck shoot.

The Moratins were fleeing and the two Allied squads are shooting at them unmolested.

During the fleeting, Red could see another Moratin company arriving at the scene about 100 yards away, pouring over the dike from the south side. They join their retreating comrades in a dash to the east, away from the Allied fire. This made a bigger target.

Applejack, Pinkie and those who is still capable to fight join the Allied on the road and begin to fire on the retreating enemy, creating a deadly effective of fire. The surviving Moratins troops reaches to a grove of trees, where there is another road leading to the river.

As Red observe, they swung left and begin to follow that road to the river.

Red order Rainbow on the radio and call for some artillery support on that road. Allied guns begin to pound away at the main force of retreating Moratins.

When the fire lit up, someone said, "Let go get them!" But Red decline.

He wanted to push down the river on his road, to cut off the Moratins at the river but thirty-five soldiers against 150 or so surviving Moratins is not good odd.

He's not going down there and waste the lives of his men for nothing.

Confirming that the area is clear, Red and the other got up and walk across the dike, counting Moratins dead, wounded and capturing prisoners that were left behind.

After he reorganized his squad, Red went over to Twilight and asks her what the static: Twilight replied was, "We got no killed, four wounded and no missing. We killed about seventy eight Moratins, double the wounded and capture twelve prisoners."

"We just took on two companies."

"That too but the only different around here is that these Moratins belong to the elite 18th Storm Trooper brigade."

"Wow." Red said, amazed.

"So," Twilight says as she look around, "What do we do now?"

Red scratch his head then said, "I don't know. We'll probably stick with the 506th and head right down to Eindhoven."

They then watch their troops search the Moratins dead bodies and later went back to St. Oedenrode where they join 2nd Battalion and the rest of the 506th on the march to Eindhoven. As they are marching down the highway, many of soldiers wonder what will happen to them once they hit the city. One way to find out as long as they know what they're doing to get the job done.


	6. Operation Garden

Chapter 16

_OPERATION GARDEN_

September 18

Outside Eindhoven, Highland

0800 hours

The sunray beat down on their backs as Allied soldiers walk down a highway that lead to the city of Eindhoven. They are in such a hurry, mainly because they are now late to open the gateway up for the armored vehicles from XXX Corp.

The 506th Regiment is doing their order of march again, the 2nd Battalion in the lead and follow by 3rd and 1st Battalion. Marching alongside with 2nd Battalion, the 2nd recon platoon from the 502nd Regiment were anxious to get to Eindhoven and open it up for XXX Corp so they all could get back to Moremelon even though they only been in this operation for a day now.

They all wonder what is going to happen to them once they reach Eindhoven, all but Pinkie who is happily hopping on the road, not minding any dangers.

"Can't that girl ever stop jumping? She might give away our positions." LaRoach ask Applejack next to him.

"Nope," Applejack shook her head, "She does that all the time."

In front of 3rd squad, one of the 2nd battalion staff officer is on top of a slope next to a group of trees that run in front of the road, examining a field that they are about cross before entering the outskirt of the city.

The battalion halts at the treeline, waiting to move out when a chill ran through Twilight, who suddenly realizes that this officer on the slope is wearing a binocular around his neck and holding a map, identifying himself as an officer to the enemy.

Twilight jump out of the treeline, ignoring her friends warning and gallop toward the officer, yelling, "Wait! You're making yourself a target."

When she got to the base of the slope, she was too late. When the officer turns to look at Twilight, a shot rang out and the officer fell to the ground, shot through the neck.

Twilight reaches him at the same time when enemy mortar rounds started to fall around them.

Somewhere in the line, a whistle blew and the whole battalion begins to run across the field to Eindhoven.

Twilight drag the wounded officer out of the slope on the road into a dike, along with two other troopers and they quickly tried to stop the bleeding, but couldn't.

As Twilight was yelling for a medic, the dying officer struggle on the ground then jerk to a stop, letting a pool of blood form around him as he lay there, dead.

Twilight was still calling for a medic when one of the troopers grab her by the jacket and pull her up, saying, "Come on. He's dead."

Twilight looks at the dead officer once more then went across the field to join her squad who is mantling over a picket fence and reach the urban side of the city.

They quietly went down on both side of the street, staying off the road as well as staying alert.

More squads follow behind them when in front of them, an explosion erupted follow by gunfire from the houses in front of them.

"Let's move!" Red shouted and they advance, taking cover behind rubbles and firing at the invisible enemy.

They turn into an alleyway and take a right when on their side, a door open. Everyone in the squad turn their guns toward the stallion that just walk out of the door.

Red sighed in relief. It that resistance member, Nova, who walks out of the door, hooves raise in the air.

"It's alright. He's a friend." Red told his squad, who lower their guns as he went to talk to Nova.

"It's good to see you my friends!" Nova exclaimed as he shook hoof with Red, "I notice you came through so I decided to prepare another map for you." He took out a piece of paper and handed it to Red, "Be careful, down this road is a roadblock with a lot of machine guns on it. I must tell you that the Moratins had set up defenses at the industrial part of this city."

"How many do you think are there?" Twilight asks him as he replied in a low tone, "I don't know. There were many of them. Possibly about a hundred. They set up anti-tank guns around the blocks. I wish you all good luck."

Standing in the doorway, is a small colt, blue-eyes, light brown overcoat and wearing a small hat like Nova as he watch the Allied soldiers with wide-eyes.

"Ah," Nova exclaimed, noticing the small colt, "I want you to meet my son, Sweetcandy."

"He's so cute!" Pinkie said, hopping over and held the kid face between her hooves.

The scared kid escape Pinkie's grasp and ran over to his father hiding behind him.

Nova laugh as he said, "He is shy around strangers and doesn't like to be around much. Though I've caught him trying to go out and fight the Moratins a couple of times."

Red notice Sweetcandy looking at him and give a slight wave. Sweetcandy blush as he looks away.

Red smiled a bit then said to Nova, "We've got to get going. Thanks for your helps."

"It is my pleasure." Nova said then led his son back into the house as Red and his squad proceeds up the alleyway. When they got out of it, they went across a small courtyard and a garden as they stop on either side of a cobblestone gate, guns ready as Rarity peek around and gasp.

"Is that necessary? You gasp all the time." Applejack said as Rarity hid behind the gate.

"Not really," Rarity said, "But there a sandbag position with a machine gun at the end of a trail in front of us."

"How many?" Red asked as on the other side of the gate, Marsh peek around and responded, "About three, no wait, four."

They all look a Red who in turn, replied, "Well, we do what we always do. Jasper?"

"Kaboom?" Jasper asks, holding up his beloved bazooka that he is cradling on his arm.

"Yes Jasper," Red nodded, "Kaboom."

Jasper happily jumps up and down as he makes his way to the opening.

After loading his bazooka, Jasper immediately fire at the emplacement. It exploded and killed everyone behind it, not to mention destroying the emplacement altogether.

"Go!" Red yelled once the smoke clear and waving through the opening, getting the other to move.

They got into a courtyard and follow a road that run parallel from it and took it downward, toward the center of the city. They were running when they stop and took some small-arms and machine gun fires from alleyways, buildings and rubble on the road.

Next thing they knew, mortars starting to drop all around, leaving them no choice but to get off the road and try a different route. They found an empty alleyway and begin to take it course.

While moving, Red stop next to a corner and held up a hoof, signaling his squad to halt and listen. They could hear hoofsteps coming from around the corner.

Readying his gun, Red waited then went around the corner, training his gun between the eyes of Nova.

Wide-eyes, Nova froze as he stared at the gun pointing at his head and slightly raise his hooves in surrender.

"Nova?" Red said, lowering his gun to confront with the shock stallion, "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here, this is a battle zone."

"I'm sorry," Nova panted, who has been running trying to find them, "But it my son," tears was brought up to his eyes as he continue, "He wanted to come with me to help you so I've given him a gun and the next thing I know, he's gone. You need to help me please."

The other behind Red looks at each other in wonderment as Nova sobbed, "He shouldn't have gone. Ever since he lost his mother, I'm the only family he got. You've got to find him!"

"Okay, okay," Red said, trying to comfort Nova, "We'll help you find you're son. But first, you need to get out of here while we find him."

Nova exclaimed in excitement as he shook Red hoof, "Oh, thanks you, thanks you!" and try to hug Red but Red just slightly push him back and smile at him, "No time for that. We got to get going."

Nova understood then replied, "Okay, just bring him back safely." Then he turned and went back the way he came.

When he left, Rainbow asks Red, "How are we going to find the kid?"

"I don't know," Red replied by shaking his head, "But he got to be somewhere. We might run into him once we get back into the fight."

They took the opposite way from where Nova came in and found themselves back on the road, this time in the industrial part of the city. There was already a firefight going on between the Moratins on the road and the paratroopers coming in from the southeast.

Red found Ace behind a building and went over to him while his squad take cover and fire at the Moratins hiding behind rubbles.

Ace saw Red coming in and said to him when he got to him, "Red, the Moratins are not going to give up this part of the city this easily. I heard that tanks from XXX Corps finally arrived but doesn't know where the hell we are. You think you can direct them here? I also need some of your men because mine are dead again."

"Go use someone else troops. I'm keeping mine." Says Red then left Ace there, frustrated and wanting to shoot Red for disobeying his order, and got to his squad.

He told them their new objective and one by one, they got off road in search for the tanks form XXX Corps. They found them in the other parts of the city, dueling Moratins anti-tanks guns set up along a railroad tracks that run into the city.

During the mist of explosions, Red got to the lead tank, and soon got in contact with the tank commander and begins to direct them to follow him once they secure the railroad area.

Leading a group of four tanks seems relatively easy but when it comes into running into another anti-tank guns ambush, it does not and they have to use one of those difficult tactical maneuvers involving infantry and tank. They receive troopers from the recon force of XXX Corps and fought their way to Ace position.

They came across a group of train carts sitting in the middle of the railroad, blocking the path for the tanks.

"We got to find other way through." The lead tank commander told Red when a sniper bullet struck the hatch next to the commander. Taken by surprise, the commander jump inside his tank while the other quickly took cover behind the carts.

"I'm guessing it a sniper from that warehouse up there." Rainbow announced then peers around her cover to look at a huge complex building that have a nylon sign sitting on top of the wide roof. She watch when she saw a small white flash on the roof and a bullet narrowly miss her by an inch, causing to get back into cover then said, "Knew it."

She turns to Red and asks him, "Shall I shoot him down?"

"No," says Red, "There got to be more than one. That warehouse is full of 'em and the building could be the center of the city. I say we take it and use it for our advantage."

Following the tanks off the railroad and onto a road that led toward the warehouse, the Allied soldiers fought their way and soon got to the side of the building.

Red and his squad went into the building while the rest of the task force continue on their journey, taking out anti-tanks guns and Moartins infantry as they fight their way through on the other side of the warehouse.

Once they got inside, the Equestrian squad soon found themselves in a room full of machinery and parts.

"Alright," Red begins once they got to the middle of the room, "we're going to split up from right here. I'll take Twilight to the roof while the rest of you clear out the rest of the warehouse."

The other nodded, some saying, "Wilco" then they spilt up, Rainbow leading the rest of the squad to the rest of the warehouse while Red took Twilight to a stairway and begin going up, fighting their way up when they came across some resistance.

Standing next to the doorway that led to the roof, Red reloads his gun while Twilight did the same then nod at her to get ready.

When she nodded back, Red open the door and they rush out into the roof, checking for any Moratins that might be up there. All they found is a sniper next to the nylon sign, firing at Allied soldiers below.

Twilight was about to fire at him when Red said to her, "Hold on. I got an idea."

He silently went up behind the sniper then holds his gun like a baseball bat, practicing swinging it behind the sniper, trying to get the perfect hit.

Before he could swing it for real, the sniper lifted his head and sneeze.

"Bless you." Red said.

"Thanks." The Moratin said, then went up in shock and spun around to see Red holding his gun, smiling as he said, "No problem." Then swing the gun and it hit the Moratin in the face, dropping his gun and stumble over the roof railing toward his fate on the ground.

After achieving his kill, Red smile and look at Twilight, who just shook her head.

Gunfire could be heard from the floor below them as Red and Twilight went to the side of the roof to examine the area around them.

The Allied tanks and infantry finally got within distance from them, helping Ace clearing an area while the sky fill with Allied planes as they scoop down to provide air support.

Red was about to turn around to head for the door when Twilight next to him said, "Red."

Red looks at her and found her pointing at the ground. He follows her gesture and look at the railway below. He saw a figure moving between the carts, running toward them.

Red picks up a sniper rifle that is lying next to him and peers through the scope at the figure.

Red couldn't do anything but gasp, there is Sweetcandy, holding his father pistol by using his magic, taking refuge behind one of the train cart when a platoon of Moratin infantry came into the area, obviously hunting him down.

"Shit," Red said, watching Sweetcandy getting pin down by the Moratin fire, "That Sweetcandy!"

Not wanting to get the kid killed, Red fired the rifle at a Moratin that is near Sweetcandy position, hitting him in the chest but the other enemy soldiers made a move at Sweetcandy but only to get hit by Red sniper fire.

"I'm going to try to get the other down there!" Twilight told Red and went to the door.

Down below, Sweetcandy change position and fire poorly at the Moratins but Red expert shot kept the Moratins back and Sweetcandy made a run for it. Red watches him go and went inside a shop.

Sighting with relief, Red went down from the roof when his squad attacks the Moratins on the ground after having securing the warehouse.

Once he got to the ground, Red went over to Twilight and told her to take charge when he saw two Moratins enter the shop where Sweetcandy is.

"Red! Wait!" Twilight yelled when Red ran in front of them toward the shop, drawing fire but safely got to the shop door.

He went inside the building and went down the hallway and found the first Moratin trying to set up a RPD on a window. He saw Red coming in and try to draw his pistol but only to get shot by Red gun.

When the Moratin fell to the ground, dead, Red went deeper into the shop when he found an open door at the end of a hallway. He heard what sounded like a gunshot coming from the room and quickly ran to the doorway, only to find the second Moratin standing at first then fall to the ground, revealing Sweetcandy looking at the dead Moratin, his pistol hanging in mid-air by his magic.

When he saw Red, not only did he didn't recognize him but he was screaming at Red as he pointed his gun at him, "Are you going to hurt me like those monsters?"

"Sweetcandy, it me!"

"I don't know who you are!"

"Sweetcandy," Red said as he put his weapon to the ground, "I know your dad, Nova."

When he heard his dad name, Sweetcandy was wide-eyes and release his magic on his pistol, letting it drop to the ground with a clatter. Then, without warning, he rushes over to Red, hugging him.

Red was surprise but felt glad that the kid is alright. He places a hoof on the kid shoulder and led him out of the building to find that the rest of XXX Corp has arrived in time.

After the battle of Eindhoven, the city residents all came out of their homes and begin celebrating to their liberators.

Riding down the city main street on top of an Abram tank, Red and Sweetcandy is waving at the ponies at both sides when Sweetcandy spotted his father among the crowd, pushing through while trying to see his son.

"Papa!" Sweetcandy exclaimed by jumping of the tank to the ground and rushes over to his father open arm, hugging him and also crying.

Red got down from the tank and, when he approaches them, Nova saw him and squeals in delight and he hugs Red. This time, Red didn't push him back, he actually felt good for saving one life.

Somewhere in the crowd, the squad was also walking down the street, admired by the ponies.

"Glad that the ponies here are actually happy to see us." Rarity said to LaRoach who then reply, "Thanks to the brass for sending us here instead of dying for nothing."

"I don't get it." Rarity said, confused.

"That Jasper logic, not mine."

Next to Rarity, Angel looks around and saw a pretty mare and walks up to her.

Walking by, Applejack said to Peter, "I'm telling you. I heard ponies talk stuff after D-Day and it mostly about Fluttershy. Do you think Red had a purpose on keeping that pistol when ponies died around them?"

"No." Peter said, "I don't see why you keep bringing up that crap. I have no intention with it whatsoever."

"But why do you want to keep away from it?" Applejack asks and Peter stops and smile at her, "Because I believe every damn words of it."

Passing by them is Jasper and Marsh and went to find Pinkie shooting confetti into the air with her party cannon that she somehow brought with her.

"Hey Pinkie!" Jasper said when they got to her, "I got a great idea."

"What?"

"Why don't we shoot Spike into the air for everyone to get."

Pinkie tapped her chin a couple of time then said, "An excellent suggestion. I might launch somepony with this."

"Great!" Marsh exclaimed as he and Jasper turn around and went in search for Spike, "Where is that mini Godzilla."

They pass an open doorway and inside is Red, Peter, Rainbow and Twilight.

After watching a tank pass by, Peter said, "I hope that Montgomery hurry up with this operation."

"What you're hurry Peter?" Rainbow asked as Peter prepared to leave the building.

"I want to see my sister before she turns three." Peter replied in a low tone and left, passing Ace who walks toward the building where he met Red and told him to get ready because they'll be moving to the side of the city for the night.

After he left, Ace walk by Angel who is busy talking to the mare, saying, "So yeah, they sent us 101st to kick ass and you don't understand the word I'm saying, do you?"

The mare replied with a shrug, "I know what you mean but don't know what you're talking about."

Rainbow walks by, found Angel and said to him, "Come on, lover boy. We got to move out." And grabbed his shoulder and pull him away from the mare with Angel yelling, "No wait! I haven't told her about my job!"

The mare smiled and wave him goodbye.

Later that evening, the squad and the rest of E Company are positions on a hill that overlook the city from half a mile away.

In a small farmhouse, Angel is sitting on the floor, daydreaming on the mare he's just met and said to those around him, "You know, it the first time I ever kiss a girl before."

"Um… kissing your mom doesn't count." LaRoach said from across from him, eating a canned food.

"Haven't you seen the picture?" Friar asked, sitting down next to him.

"Wait, there pictures?" LaRoach exclaimed in shock and he looks at Angel and said to him, "How could you be sure that this girl is about your age and is not a mom?"

"Why would anyone want to do that? That so messed up." Marsh said with a frown face, "Next thing you know you could be kissing my mom."

"A Canadian mom who will be giving us maple syrup once we ran out of MREs."

"Damn straight." Marsh agrees.

"I don't feel good anymore." Angel said, putting his meal down.

Marsh chuckle and said to Angel, "LaRoach was only joking. I hadn't kissed a dame until I was about your age."

Outside, Applejack looks at the stars above her then walks over to the side of the hill where she found Red sitting by a tree, a .45 in his right hoof while looking at the city of Eindhoven in front of him.

Applejack sat down next to him and said, "Rainbow took Rarity and Twilight on patrol around the perimeter. I sure hope that those Moras will leave us alone for tonight."

"You sure have a way of thing to tell I give you that." Red said, still looking at the city.

Applejack looks at him and notice the pistol, "Is that 'the gun'?"

Red look at Applejack then at the pistol, "Yeah. I had to use it in while in Eindhoven. The kid almost shot me. He doesn't understand any of this."

"Do you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Understand this" she look at the city then at the pistol by adding, "That."

"Are you seriously buying into that shit?"

"You don't purchase faith," Applejack said, concerned about Red, "That what Granny Smith usually say to me but I only said this because really the other say you were too afraid to have that around you or what you react when other ponies talk about it."

Red look at the pistol with wonderment then said, "It belongs to my father. That why I didn't want it."

"Yeah, who also died holding it." Applejack said, matter-of-factly.

Red looks at Applejack and asks her, "What are you trying to prove Applejack?"

Applejack looks at him in the eyes then said, "You are hiding something."

Red looks away and his eyes lit up when he came across a flashback…

_Flashes of lights shone Red face when he ran down a road and position himself next to a building as bullets kicked up around him. When he's turned around a corner, he saw a stallion on top of a tank, jerking light to right as he is getting hit. _

_On the back of the stallion jacket reads, "Risnerv"…._

_Out of the whiteness, Garnett is holding the .45 when he looked behind him and screamed, "Fluttershy, Allen! Get the fu-," _

_Then a bullet struck him in the head. In slow-motion, Garnett falls backward as his eyes curled to the top of his head…._

_Then there Grim, holding the .45. as the side of the barrel slide down the side of his face with the gun marking showing as in the background, Grim voice said, "You couldn't save me. I thought you were protecting us."_

_Then out of nowhere, Fluttershy screamed, "Red!"_

Red shook his head from the flashbacks and said to Applejack, "I'm not hiding anything."

Applejack replied with a scoff, "I know someone who could disagree with you."

"What?" Red asks in alarm and right when he finish his sentence, the air raid siren went off inside the city.

"Do you hear that?" Applejack asked, confused.

Red got up from the ground and walk to the very edge of the hill to look at the city. Overhead, he saw bombers flying over the city, dropping it bombs.

The bombs hit the city with puff of flames where it lands. In the middle of the city, a bell started to ring as a fire start, spreading to the rest of the city.

Red quickly look behind him and scream, "Get everybody up!"

**AN: This is probably one of the worst chapters where it doesn't have that many details on battle and characters. I think it the same goes for the other chapters. If you got any question, please contact me or so and hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**P.S. the mare that Angel kissed is certainly not a mom.**


	7. Eindhoven

Chapter 17

_Eindhoven_

September 18

Eindhoven, Highland

2237 hours

The squad race down the road in their jeeps toward the city. They stop short at an end of a stone bridge when they were taking some rifle and machine gun fires from the other side of the bridge by Moratin infantry sent to clear the city.

The squad jumps out of their jeeps and took cover behind a low stone wall as Red shouted out command like, "Applejack! Suppress fire on them now!"

As they were returning fire, Angel look at the other then ran at a ditch off to his right that'll lead to the fence line on the other side of the bridge.

Rainbow saw him ran off and yells, "Angel!" then took off after him, stopping him in the middle of the ditch and said to him, "What are you doing?"

"I'm faster alone and we'll never reach her as a group. I have to find her!" Angel said, wanting to continue on.

"She hardly knows you."

"She doesn't have to!"

"Angel, don't do it. If you do, you will die."

"And then what?" Angel challenge, "You want to stop me? Is that what you want?"

"Angel…"

"You guys can go and save many lives as you want but let me save this one."

"Angel, please…"

"Let me save this one." Angel said with that final word, then turn and took off, leaving Rainbow there stunned then she turn and went back to her squad just won the firefight and got across the bridge.

The sky is dark-red from the fires all around them when the squad push deeper into the city and they stop on a road to find out what they'll be doing.

"Okay here's the deal," Red begins when his squad formed around him, "We're going to save as many lives as we can while we fight the Moratins. Keep your action clear and keep your safety off, we don't know is there will be any more of them around a corner. Rainbow, you take front and-," he look around then said, "Where's Angel?"

They all look at Rainbow who bent her head down as she replied, "He took off. I've tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen."

"Shit," Red mutter as he shook his head then said, "Fine. We'll have to find him once we get in there."

"He went after that mare he'd met." Rainbow said.

"God, it's Romeo and Juliet all over again." LaRoach said with Marsh adding, "The story always ends with them dying."

"Let's hope it won't be this time." Red said as he turn and went into an alleyway, follows by his squad as they make their way into the burning city.

The heat from the building is so intense it cause spot on their overcoat and uniforms as they went around a corner and saw Angel running away from them, leading the mare who is wearing his helmet.

"Angel!" Red yells and ran after them. Bombs continue to fall around them and the fires seem to higher and higher when the squad lost sight of Angel and the mare and found themselves on a street.

On their left they found one of Peter's men, Campbell, hunch over the side of a jeep, bowing his head and appear to be in a depressed state.

Red ran over to him and said, "Campbell, are you okay?"

He looks at the jeep and discovers that sitting on the passenger seat is the corpse of Holden, another one of Peter's men.

"It happened so fast," Campbell begins as he looks up at the sky in wonderment, "It was like a series pops and suddenly Holden died just right next to me." He looks down at the ground with tears coming out of his eyes, "It should've been me, not him." Then he cried silently.

Behind them, Spike said to Twilight, "Twilight, what's wrong with Campbell."

"He's lost a friend, Spike," Twilight said, turning away, "Like we've lost Allen and Garnett and Grim."

Red heard his name being call out and turn to find Peter second-in-command, Corrion, emerging from a knock-down building, holding a small corpse.

"Red," Corrion said as he slowly walks to him, "I'm so sorry."

Red rushes over to him and saw the body of Sweetcandy, pale-faced and bloody when Corrion set him down to the ground.

"Oh god no," Red gasped and set himself next to Sweetcandy and begins to question Corrion, "Where Nova? Where's his dad?"

Corrion answered back with a shrug, "I don't know. Me and Paige were walking by to check on 'em when the building they're in collapse."

Red check for the kid pulse and softly shook him, saying, "Sweetcandy, Sweetcandy! Can you hear me? Please wake up."

"Red," Twilight said, walking up behind him, "He's gone."

"No," Red insisted, "I know he okay. He has to be."

"Red, we've got to keep moving. There is other that can be saved. We're too late to save him."

Red bows his head then got up and said to Corrion, "Have you got any words from other units?"

"Can't tell. We're so mixed up around here."

"Where's Peter?"

"I don't know. He said he'll be back when he went to the middle of the city. That where the fire started."

They then heard screams coming from their left. They all rushes over to see a building that was on fire. Coming out of it is civilians engulfed in flames as they run out while being burn to death.

Not wanting to keep watching this carnage, the two squads went over and help to put the fires out.

After putting the fire out on this one pony, Marsh was trying to comfort the pony who is screaming. The pony overcoat has been burn, leaving nothing but black-scorched marks on the skin. The face is all blacken and both ears have been what it look like it had been cut off.

"It okay, you're not going to die." Marsh soothed her, reaching to touch her cheek.

When he touches it, the cheek caved in, leaving a hollow hole on the side of her face, causing Marsh attempt to help her to stop and he back away, leaving the poor pony to keep screaming and turn around and vomited.

They stay with them when a platoon of Allied soldiers came by, mostly medics, and help the badly burned ponies.

After they evacuate them, Red told his squad and that of Peter squad to keep moving.

The horror of the innocents' ponies dying horrified them as they past a plaza full with bodies. The stenches from the dead bodies fill their nostrils and nearly gag them when they reach another plaza, this time with Moratin soldiers roaming around. In the middle of the plaza is a bomb shelter.

"Fuck," Friar mutter when they hid behind walls and crates, "This better be the good time to act now."

Hiding behind a wall, Red examine the area around them and begins to create a battle plan that will involve the two squads altogether.

"Alright," he begins and said to Twilight on his right, "Twilight, you and your team will go over to that building over there and fire from the flank." He turns to his right, "Corrion, take your squad and go to the left side of the plaza and hit them from there. Hit 'em hard and fast. We still got to get moving once we clear the area. Wait for my command."

He went over to Rainbow and said to her, "Take your team and direct them to that position right them," he pointed at a low stone wall not far from any of the Moratin positions. "When AJ fire, you run. Got it?" Rainbow nodded.

Lastly before the start of the attack or ambush, Red went over to where Applejack and Jasper team and said to them, "Applejack, you'll start the attack when I give the preparatory command and Jasper, just shoot whatever the hell you want."

"Sound good to me." Jasper smiled as he and Friar load the bazooka.

After he gave the instruction to everyone, Red stays by with Fluttershy and Spike and waited for the right timing.

Many of the Allied soldiers grip their guns when they heard the command, "Applejack, fire!"

A long line of red tracers came out of Applejack gun and hit the Moratin infantry, hitting some of them while other took cover.

"Now!" Red yelled at Corrion and Twilight, who dash to their positions on either side of the plaza. They draw from the entrenched Moratins but safely got behind covers and fire at the enemy soldiers in front of them. Meanwhile, Rainbow leads her team to the middle of the plaza when they receive green tracers coming from a building on front of them by an enemy machine gun.

Red saw this and yells, "Applejack! Take out that machine gun." When another machine gun opens up, Red saw this again to Jasper.

The red and green tracers from both Applejack and the Moratin machine gun zipped across the battlefield and make it look like a light-saber battle that you see in _Star Wars_.

While Applejack is lock in a machine gun duel, Red order Spike and Fluttershy to stay put and lead Jasper and Friar after they took out the second machine gun to the middle of the battlefield.

Shooting at Moratins coming out of the bomb-shelter, Twilight order Marsh and Rarity to toss a grenade and move positions.

After their grenades exploded, they change their positions and attempt to flank the enemy soldiers from the side.

The battle of the tracers cease with Applejack victorious and she re-directed her machine gun and fire at the Moratins who are falling back to the bomb-shelter or escaping the plaza.

"We got them on the run!" Rainbow said when the firings cease.

Red rally his troop and said to Corrion, "My guys will go through the bomb-shelter while you go around and see if you can link up with other units."

"Alright." Corrion nodded and lead his squad out of the plaza while Red told his squad, "Those Moras knows will be coming for them so stay alert."

They went into the shelter and soon came under a firefight with surviving Moratins from the plaza fight. After they dispatch them, the Allied soldiers went deeper into the shelter, moving under floorboard of buildings above them.

While taking a lead, Red moved around a corner and caught a glimpse of Angel and the mare running around the next corner.

"I've found them!" Red said and ran after them.

Every time Red went around a corner, Angel and the mare went around the next. The chase leads the squad to a long dark hallway.

When he saw them again, Red ran down when, without warning, the dead face of Sweetcandy flashes in his mind in a heartbeat, causing the world around him to go black-and-white.

When he reaches to the end of the hallway, Red stop and shook his head, hoping for the color to come back when Sweetcandy face flashes again, this time causing the world around Red to go by into color.

Beside Grim, Sweetcandy had now starting to haunt Red.

"Red!" Twilight said when she stop next to him, "Red, are you alright?"

Red replied by wiping his face from sweat, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. Let keep going."

They exit the shelter and came across a firefight between British soldiers who are taking the beating as they hide behind vehicles and the Moratins that are positioned in buildings and in rubble in front of them.

As the British soldiers were getting pick of one-by-one, the Equestrian squad came to their aid by shooting at the Moratins and taking cover next to their allies.

During the right, Rarity counted the British and discovered there are only six of them left on the street.

"It about time you Yanks showed up!" said one of the British soldiers.

"I'm not really American," said Rarity, "I'm a resident from Equestria."

"Whatever you are, thanks you."

"You're welcome." Rarity smiled then asks, "What happened to your unit?"

"We were driving through the city when the Moratin came and bombed our supply convoy."

Another British soldier next to him continues the story, "We've tried to set everything sorted out when those bastards came by and started to harass us."

"And now, "said the first one, "we're the only chaps left here defending the perimeter."

When he finish this, Red went over to them and said to them, "I want every able-bodies pony to fire at that building over there. Do you have any men left?"

The soldier next to Rarity said, "Well, old Thomas here got his back full with shrapnel and Jack over there got half of his face blown off by a grenade but still alive."

"You got any ammo to shoot?"

"We got a little. We've been saving them in case we get overrun."

"Alright," Red nodded then look at Rarity, "I need you to take these guys to the right while I take the fire team to the left, got it?"

"Wilco." Rarity acknowledges and turns to find Fluttershy, "Medic! We got wounded over here!"

As Fluttershy takes care of the wounded soldiers, the rest of the ponies begin their attack, first with Applejack SAW and one of the British LMG machine gunfire then the flanking assault.

Rarity leads the four British soldiers onto an enemy position. As they were assaulting, one of the British took a hit on the shoulder.

"Pony down!" Rarity yelled then rush to the wounded pony side when she was stop by another soldier, "Leave him! If we help him now, then we'll be like him. Leave him for the medic."

Rarity abandons her attempt then continues advancing.

They neutralize the enemy positions and waited for an enemy counterattack, which there is none.

Bombers still fill the sky, dropping bombs around them and the fire is getting worse by the minute.

After the firefight, one of the British soldiers said to Red, "Thanks you lads for saving us back there. Them Moras would've ticked is off."

"Not a problem." Red said then asks, "Have you seen a guy running with a girl who is wearing a helmet?"

The British scratched his head then replied, "I guess I have. I'd saw them running down that way."

He pointed down the street then said, "We've tried to stop them but the fire got so bad we couldn't follow them if we're getting shot."

"Okay, you guys better get out of here. We're going to find our missing soldier." Red said then turns to regroup his squad.

Fluttershy finished tending the wounded and join her squad when Twilight said to her, "You must've been so good at that. I'm glad you chose to be a medic instead of a rifleman."

Fluttershy smiled, "I always will be a medic."

The squad ran down the street where the British soldier pointed, passing overturn vehicles fill with dead bodies and discarded equipments all over the place.

In his mind, Red was hoping to find Angel as quickly as possible and get out of here. He doesn't want to lose him like how he lost the other soldiers that he commanding in his career as a lieutenant. He doesn't want to have another soldier dead because of him. He already has too much faults to be blame for. Allen, Garnett and Grim were good soldiers but Angel is just a kid. A kid who wanted to join the fight for his country and have a family and a mother waiting for him back home, if he can make it out of this alive.

When they past a burning building, Red saw Angel running toward a bomb-out building then yelled at him, "Angel!"

Rainbow next repeated his word but Angel seem to notice them as he and the mare went inside the building and disappeared.

The squad ran over to the building and when Red got into the doorway, the door ceiling collapsed, sealing the only entrance into the building with the squad outside and Red inside.

Red covers his face from the burning wood and shouted through the block doorway, "Don't worry about me. I'll find another way out. Keep moving!"

The squad nodded and keeps moving through the street when Red heard something from another room and went to investigate.

As soon as he stepped in the room, a bomb went off overhead, showering debris on top of him.

Red fell to the floor and felt unconscious which he is not. Every time he tried to open his eyes, he thought he saw Grim standing around him, saying, "This is what you deserve."

Red shook his head and got up. Then, he saw Grim again leading against a wall on the ground, dead.

Red shook his head again, trying to get the hallucination away from his mind.

When he opens his eyes, he realized that it wasn't Grim but a dead British medic. Lying on the floor around Red is more bodies that he didn't recognized when he came in.

Red look at the dead bodies for a moment then continue through the building. It happened again. Every time Red turned around a corner, Angel and the mare went around the next.

Red went up a stair and opens a door on top of it. When he opens it, rushes of heat overfill him when he realized he is in the middle of a burning building.

He saw Angel going into the next room and quickly follows them.

He screamed when the fire touches his skin as he went through the maze of flames and the ceiling above him is going to cave in any second.

Not wanting to burn to death and ignoring the pain from the flames, Red ran up on a ramp toward a window and crash through it, arms flailing in slow-motion as he sail through the air and splashed into a river.

He tried swimming back up to the surface but his gear is pulling him back down.

He let go of his weapon and reaches for his combat knife strapped to his boot but drop it when he pulled it out.

Since he couldn't get his gear off and he is in a state of panic, Red struggled to make himself free as he sink deeper and deeper into the water.

Before he reach the riverbed, Red stop struggling and think of everything he been through then felt he losing consciousness because of lack of oxygen.

Then he went out.

**AN: With another one is out, I've been thinking of this chapter concept and storytelling. Surly the squad went through a burning city trying to find a missing soldier. But I also thought what the point of Red going through a burning building on which he almost got burn to death? In reality, soldiers in combat rarely have time to think when they're in a life-or-death situation. Their brains sort of like send an automatic signal to the body on which they immediately follow it without even thinking about it. **

**Speaking of Red, I wanted to bring up his PTSD disorder to the full scale which mean you'll be able to see the dead faces of his men, mostly Grim, in the little bit.**

**That about it on my note so I hope you has enjoyed this chapter. I wasn't good with the battle scenes but I finish the chapter, right? **

**Sorry but I have to let Sweetcandy die. The fate of his father is unknown. **


	8. The Rabbit Hole

Chapter 18

_THE RABBIT HOLE_

September 19

Eindhoven, Highland

2437 hours

Red woke up, feeling dizzy as he lay on the side of a river on a dike. As he got up to his knee and try to find out where he's at, he heard a scream at the other side of the dike.

Red crawl up to the top of the dike to see in front of him is a hospital. In front of the main doorway is the mare Angel is trying to save along with two Moratin soldiers who seem to be arresting her for wearing an American GI helmet.

The mare scream as she broke free from captors and tried to escape but one of the Moratin trained his gun on the mare and fire, hitting her in the back. The mare fell backward and landed on the stair, as blood leak from the bullet wound on her chest and the helmet lay aside her, covered in blood.

Red was horrific when the mare was shot then reaches for his gun, only to find there is none.

Red look around him to find his guns and the only weapon he still have on him is his Colt .45 pistol. Beside that, he also still has his gear so he dropped it, since the damn thing was trying to drown him, and wade back into the water.

He needed to get into that hospital. He figures that Angel must be inside it since he left the mare in front of it.

Red follow the river to the side of the hospital, got out of the water without making any noise and ran to hide behind a tree next to a concrete platform.

He examines the area in front of him and counted 12 Moratins milling around in front of the hospital.

How can a pistol stand against Moratins that are equips with machine guns and rifles? Well, Red can outwit them all by using stealth and tactics.

When one of the Moratins went to the tree where Red is hiding behind to take a leak, Red spring out behind cover and tackle him. He managed to punch him hard enough to knock him out. Red drags the body into the water, not worrying that the knock-out pony will drown, and take his special modified MP-40.

Red then run and took cover behind a low stone-wall, with two Moratins on the other side of it.

Red picks up a rock next to him and chucks it to his right, hoping for it to cause some distraction in the Moratins. The two Moratins heard the tapping of the rock and went to investigate, leaving their positions unguarded.

Right when Red was about to move, another Moratin appear, looking for his friend that Red knock out earlier.

The Moratin walk slowly to where Red at, standing right next to him as he peer into the darkness, not noticing Red next to him. The Moratin whispers, "Fritz, Fritz! Where are you?"

Red quickly looks around, trying to find a way to get out of this but couldn't find one.

Red sighted then mutter, "Aw… fuck this." And got up and bash the Moratin in the head. The Moratin scream in pain, which cause all of his buddies to look at the direction of the pain and find Red standing there frozen. Everything seems to be in a standstill when Red level up his gun and fire at a Moratin closest to him, gunning him down and the firefight begins.

As he was running and firing at the same time, Red jump behind a wall and found a Moratin hiding right next to him. They look at each other in the eyes and grinned.

Then Red grabs the Moratin by the collar and held him up like a pony shield. The Moratins doesn't even care about their own men until the threat has been encounter and fired at Red shield, which begin to take hits as Red went and kill the Moratins. The two Moratins that Red distracted came back to their posts and saw what happening.

Red saw them first and reaches for his shield webbing belt that is on his chest and pull out a stick grenade.

He took the cap off on the bottom of the grenade, pulls the string to activate the grenade, planted it back on the Moratin belt so it'll stay in place and pushes the corpse at the two Moratins.

They caught their friend and soon discover that the grenade on him is cooking. They exploded, showering blood and gore all over the place.

After that, Red discarded the MP-40 and takes out his .45 and went to the front entrance of the hospital.

As he was walking up the stair, Red stop and look at the dead mare Angel has been trying to save. But failed to do so because he just got her killed

Red shook his head and mutter, "Why would you do this, Angel?" and opens the front door and step inside.

When he steps inside, the door behind him shut itself, leaving Red in a room full of debris.

Red walk on slowly and deliberately, listening to his surrounding when something on the ground caught his eyes.

Sitting under the moonlight is a jacket on the ground that on the back is read, "Angel and Carrot."

_So, he's around here somewhere,_ Red thought, looking at the jacket then proceeds into the next room.

After checking the room, Red walk down a hallway, passing abandon wheelchairs, operating tables and discarded medical supplies. At the end of the hallway, he found a double door but it was blocked by flaming woods and went to find another way around. He found a huge hole on a wall, big enough for a full-grown pony to go through.

Red went through the hole and was walking between the walls as found another hole and came across a room that has an operating table in the middle. It soon became empty when Red went through another hole and walk down a long corridor. Before he exits the corridor, Red found a small hole in front of him and decided to peek into it.

When he peer through it and was looking at another room, Grim came out of nowhere I the room, look at Red and disappear from view, leaving Red stunned.

He quickly got out of the corridor and came into a room that has a radio sitting on top of a table. Behind the table is a window that overlooks the city of Eindhoven.

Red stands next to the table and listen closely to the radio static. He heard a voice through the radio yelling, "Ace, I can't get anyone." Then he screams, "TAKE ME!" then the radio click itself off.

When the radio clicked off, Red heard hoofsteps coming from the hallway. He hid under a window frame and two Moratins appeared, walking down the hallway while checking every room.

When the Moratins check the room next door, Red acted fast by throwing a rock to a room behind him. The Moratins heard this and passes Red room without even checking.

When they're gone, Red got up and silently went out of the room he's in without alerting the Moratins next door and quickly went down the hallway in a silent fast pace.

As he attempted to enter the hospital cafeteria, bullets rippled around him and ricochet off around him. Red took cover behind a heavy wooded desk and fired at the direction where the firing was from. Not wanting to stay where he's at any longer, Red ran out of the cafeteria, down the hallway he came and came across another dead end.

"Are you kidding me?" he said, turning around.

Before he could walk back down, on his left is a drawing on the wall, showing a bald man with a long nose peering over a wall.

Red stops as he looks at the drawing and he smile.

_Well, today is my lucky day,_ he thought as he reach for his marker inside his jacket, pull it out and wrote under the drawing, saying, "Kilroy was here."

He did this so whoever from his side came by searching the area, the drawing will let them knows that the area has been secure. But another meaning of this drawing means that someone got here first before they did.

After he put his marker back into his jacket, Red went back down the way he came, turn left, open a double door and saw Angel running down a hallway.

Red ran after him and stops him at a theater. "Angel!" Red yelled, stopping, "You don't need to do this!"

Angel stops and turns to face Red, saying, "I have to. I've felt something inside me for saving one life. I knew it was the right thing to do. It was for her own good."

"Angel, there is something that you should know."

"Like what? Court-martial me for disobeying orders? You guys save a lot of lives out there and I only need to save her."

"She doesn't even know you."

"It doesn't matter. I've just done my part which is now I've felt good about it."

"Angel." Red said, stepping toward him but Angel back away as he said, "No. Don't acts like my father. Go back. Go stay with the other." Then he took off.

"Angel!" Red yelled and ran after him.

After losing sight of him, Red kept on running into Moratin after Moratin, shooting at them with his .45 and sometime, has to do hand-to-hand combat.

Running low on ammo, Red slow down his pace as he walk down a hallway, making sure there is no Moratins that will come on and shoot him. The bombs outside continue to fall as Red walk up a stair, slowly. When he reaches to the top, he found Angel lending against a wall on the ground, clutching his chest as his shirt is damp in blood.

"I'm sorry, Red." Angel gasps.

Red kneels down in front of him and said to him, "No, it okay. You did good."

Angel cough in blood as he replies, "Did she… did she make it out… okay?"

Red thought for a moment, remembering the mare being killed in cold blood then replied by nodding, "Yeah, she's okay."

Angel studies him for a moment then mutter, "Lair."

What Red didn't notice is a Moratin walking up behind him, rifle pointing at his back.

Before he could pull the trigger, he was shot repeatedly from behind and fall forward, revealing Peter pointing at carbine with smoke trailing out from his gun.

He put it down and nodded toward Red. Red nodded back and when he turn back to Angel, Angel looks at him one final time then slump to the side, dead. His arm falls beside to his bloody M-1 Grease gun.

Peter walked up next to Red as Red reaches out and took Angel dog tag. He held it between his hooves and presses it against his lip as he was kissing it.

Peter put his hoof on Red shoulder and watches Red put the dog tag in his pocket, take Angel gun and stand up next to Peter. They were about to start heading down the stair when a bomb exploded above them, causing the ceiling to collapse. Red and Peter ran down the stair as the woods crashes on top of the Angel dead body. They look back up and at that moment, Red couldn't take it as he back up against a wall bend his head down.

_Why is this happening?_ He thought, overcome his guilt and despair.

Then he heard Peter calling out to him, "Red, he's gone. Red, look at me."

Red looks up and sees Peter holding out his hoof to him, "Red, we need to get out of here. Let's get back with the other."

He took Red hoof and helps him to his hooves.

"Come on, I know the way." Peter said and Red follows him.

They were walking down a hallway that had glass on one side when a bomb landed near enough to shatter the glass.

Everything seem to be in slow-motion as Red yelled "Move!" and they ran down the hallway together, with more bombs landing nearby.

They reach to the end of the hallway and stop to catch their breath.

"That was one hell of a run." Peter said and Red nodded.

They move forward when they came across a huge hole in the floor. On the other side, a Moratin came by and stop in front of he crater with his back facing Peter and Red.

They took cover and Peter whisper to Red next to him, "Do it, Red. Shoot him. Do it for Angel."

Red aim at the Moratin back and let out a three-round burst at the Moratin back. It hit him and he fell backward into the crater.

Red lower his gun and he and Peter went to a room right next to them.

They begin taking fire from offices where Moratins are at. After taking them out, Red and Peter came into a huge room fill with tables and equipments. As they walk into the room, readying their guns, a bottle next to Red shatter in pieces as a group of Moratins burst into the room.

Red flip a table over and hid behind it while Peter tool cover behind a desk.

Somehow, moonlight shine through the windows, allowing Red and Peter to see their enemies.

Red signals Peter to suppress fire as he takes half of the Moratins while Peter takes the other half.

Red broke cover and ran toward his targets, spraying bullets at the Moratins who were taking cover behind another table.

When he took his group out, he turn to the other group when Peter yelled out, "Watch out! I'm throwing a frag!" Then, he tosses it toward the Moratins. The grenades landed behind them and exploded, killing them all.

After that, Red and Peter exit the room, and ran toward a double door.

Before Red could open it, a Moratin burst through the door, his whole body on fire as he scream in agony and fell to the ground. Peter watch in horror as Red went over to the burning pony and put a bullet through the Moratin head, ending his life. Red and Peter went through the door and run down the hallway and stop mid-between when the light above them flicker off.

"Red," Peter begin, worried, "Oh, Red. The people. All those innocent civilians."

Red was about to keep walking when Peter added, "Red, I don't think we should do this anymore."

Red stops and said to him without looking back, "I thought so too. But we have order to protect the people and engage the enemy. Now move."

When they reach to the end of the hallway, Red orders Peter to go into a room while he runs into the theater where Red encounters Angel earlier.

He stops in the middle of it and looks up as his eyes reflected to the sky dome above him.

In the next room, Peter was looking into a drawer when he heard a loud crashing sound coming from the theater.

He stops what he's doing and went to investigate.

As the bomb hang off from a steel frame above him, Red was trying to get up when a Moratin officer and two enlisted men walk up to him, gun pointing.

Without thinking to reach for his machine gun, Red pulls out his pistol and tries to aim for their heads.

Peter ran in and stops to see Red shooting three rounds at… Nothing?

Peter shook his head and said to Red, "Red, there's no one there."

Red straightens himself up then said by bowing his head, "I know.

Red voice- _If he hadn't gone after her, we wouldn't be losing some good men in this war._

Angel voice- _Yeah, but I still died._

Red voice- _Yeah, you did._

**AN: Another chapter gone and a lot more to go. I'm thinking that most of you think that Red died but sadly it was Angel. Take note that LaRoach in the previous chapter said it was going to be like Romeo and Juliet, which on the contrary, he was right. **

**I don't put romance in any of my stories but when I do, I prefer the two love birds get killed.**

**Stay reading, my friends. **


	9. We Happy Fewer

Chapter 19

_WE HAPPY FEWER_

September 19

0800 hours

Later in the day after Angel's death, the 506th Regiment is moving out of Eindhoven to report to a city called Veghel because of continues Moratins attacks as they tried to cut the highway in two.

Driving down the highway, the drawing on Venda hood has now another name under the "Those We Lost." sign. All there is now is the name of Risnerv, Grim, Allen, Garnett, Two-Bit and Angel.

"I can't believe they got him." Rarity said, sitting in the back seat of the jeep next to Applejack with Jasper driving the jeep and Red sitting on the passenger seat.

The rest of the squad is behind them with another three jeeps.

"At least he killed a lot of them before they got him at the hospital." Red said, looking out at passing soldiers marching on the side of the road, "He was a good soldier."

"What did happen at that hospital?" Rarity asked, not trying to be rude.

Red didn't answer her. He thought of what Angel said back there with that pained expression. He died right in front of Red, not even knowing what happen to the mare he tried to save.

Red thought was interrupted by Applejack who said to Jasper, "Stop the jeep."

Jasper pulls to the side of the road and stop the jeep.

The other jeeps were right behind them, wondering what going on when Applejack jump out and approach to a group of British soldiers who were chatting near a tree.

"How it going, mate?" said the one with a jacket, who notice her coming up to him.

Without warning, Applejack grabs him by the collar, pushes him toward the tree and yelled, "Where did you get this jacket?"

The wide-eyes British soldier looks at his friends for help but they just stand there taken by surprise.

"Huh?" Applejack questioned him, growing impatient.

"I… I got it at Eindhoven this morning. It… It was lying around at this one hospital." The British stammer when Red, Jasper and Rarity ran up behind Applejack with Red saying, "Applejack! Leave him alone. He's just some random British in an American jacket!"

Applejack spun the British soldier around with his back facing Red and asks him, "Does this look random to you?"

On the back of the jacket read, "Angel and Carrot." Red look at this with a pain expression then walk away from them.

Applejack let go of the stallion and follow after Red.

Twilight is out of her jeep to see what going on and, when Red walk by her, she said to him, "What happen?"

Red didn't answer nor look at her and continue walking toward his jeep.

Twilight said the same thing to Applejack but got the same response.

Then, Jasper and Rarity came by so Twilight asks them.

Rarity replied back with a look, "Applejack got into a fight with some stallion over there."

"Why would she do that?"

Then Jasper said, "I think it because of a fuss about Angel death. That Brit has his jacket."

After the conversation, everyone got back to their jeeps. Jasper got in the driver seat and turns the key but the jeep refused to work.

As he turns the key over and over, the jeep engine splutter and cough then died.

Jasper mutters under his breath, "I swear if this jeep won't work, I'll have to shoot this bitch."

Then, the jeep came to life.

"Look like you know how to start everything by using you breath!" Applejack said jokily.

Jasper chuckle as he put Venda into gear and drives out into the road.

They didn't reach Veghel because of traffic jam as the Moratins kept on attacking the highway so 2nd Battalion is now station at Koevering, located eight miles southwest from Veghel.

Sitting on a tree trunk next to a river, Red is holding his pistol by the grip and thought of Angel.

_Why did he do it?_, he thought, trying to come up with a possible solution.

Then, he heard screaming at a footbridge in front of him. Red got up to investigate; only to find Grim on the bridge, shooting at him while screaming, "You want me? Fucking take me. TAKE ME!"

Then, came a flashback to Knight Wood, showing Grim bloody face as a voice spoke up from the background, "Why did you let us all die?"

As Red came back to the real world, he fell to his knee. "Now this looks familiar." Grim said, walking up next to Red and stand behind him, "Seem death is coming at you."

"What can I do?" said Red, still looking at the river.

Grim took out Red .45, cock it and point at the back of Red head and said, "Find out yourself."

And pull the trigger…

Red woke up his a start, lying against a wall of a building as soldiers passes by.

_It was a dream,_ he thought, getting up to look for his squad.

He found them at a courtyard, sitting around eating MREs and seems to be waiting for something.

"What going on?" Red asked when he got to them.

"Nothing." Marsh said with looking up, "We're taking a break from guard duty."

"You've fell asleep when we got here." Rainbow said, "It must've been all the fighting last night." She pick up a MRE bag and hold it out to Red, saying, "Want some?"

Red accepted it and sat down next to LaRoach, open the bag and take out the contents.

Somewhere in Veghel, Peter walk down the rows of pitch tents when he spotted Ace sitting at a table looking at battle reports.

Peter walk up to him and saluted and said, "Ace, there is something I need to tell you."

"Is it another one of those complaints of you blowing up Sink jeep?"

"I was going to tell you that later but…," Peter stop and look at the ground then said, "It about Red."

"What about him?" Ace asked, looking up from his reports.

"Well," Peter begins, "It just that… I don't think he fit for duty anymore."

"What makes you say that?"

"Have ever seen him talked to no one around him? He said he kept on seeing Grim all the time."

"You mean he is suffering from PTSD again?"

Peter exclaimed, "Exactly. Even Twilight said he's suffering from it. While we were out at Eindhoven, I saw him shooting at nothing. I mean, literally, nothing! I know Red and I never seen him do any of this before."

"Are you sure?" Ace said, "I've seen him act like this all the time. Remember the time when Red got so pissed off, he ended up blowing up the whole enemy compound with nothing but a knife? He was suffering from the same disorder there but he managed to overcome it and he was fine."

"Yeah but not this time. I'm his only friend left. I think we should put him out of the frontline. Just for a while."

"If we do that," Ace said, getting up while looking at Peter, "Who will take over the squad?"

Peter thought for a moment before replying, "I think Twilight can handle it. Corrion said he seen her take command in Eindhoven and was really good at it."

"I've saw that too but it not enough for her leadership experience. She is capable for fighting but not for the squad. Are you sure that Red is suffering from the disorder?"

"I'm not sure." came a reply as Peter scratches his head, "He could be."

Ace shook his head as he sat back down and said, "I think you should go back to your squad. I heard Holden bought the farm and I'm sorry about it."

"Thank, Ace." Peter nodded and salutes.

Before he could walk away, Ace called out to him, "You don't need to salute me. We're not at the officer area."

Peter nodded again and walks away.

Next day later on the 20th, 2nd Battalion has been put in reserve as everyone set up defenses around Koevering, watching out for enemy contact.

The Moratins continue to shells and attack along Highway 71, which is now known as, "Hell's Highway" by the Allied troops because so many troops, vehicles and equipments were lost in this one single highway.

Sitting behind a machine gun emplacement, Twilight watch a vast open field in front of her when she heard movement behind her.

She turn and saw Red coming by and sat down next to her, saying, "How it going?"

"Good." Twilight replied, focusing back to the field, "It been too quiet today."

"Too quiet." Red agrees. He thought for a moment and asks, "What did you guys do after I left to find Angel?"

"I don't remember," Twilight said, searching through her memory, "I think that we went to find you but got hold up by small-arm fires. Then, we link up with Corrion squad and we managed to push the Moratins out of the city."

"Oh. That must be tough of you leading the squad without me around." Red asks, smiling.

"Yeah, it was." Twilight nodded then she asks, "Are you okay?"

Red smile faded as he replied back with confusion, "What? What do you mean?"

"I mean that Peter been telling everyone what happened back at the hospital. He says that you were on the ground, dry-firing at a wall."

"That just Peter. You got to be careful not to step in bullshit."

Twilight wince at the cuss word then said, "I know. But what about Grim? You said you kept seeing him everywhere we go."

Red didn't say anything. He doesn't want to answer that question when Twilight said again, "Red, you got to put your head back on the line. Beside Grim, there were always that time when you blank out in the face of combat, especially when Flutetrshy screamed."

What they didn't notice is that Rainbow saw them and hide behind a crate next to the emplacement, listening to what they say as Red said, "It because of what happened back at Carentan. You know what Fluttershy been through when she watches Allen and Garnett getting killed in front of her." Red said as he look away and continue, "It my job to keep everyone alive."

"But what about Sweetcandy? The kid was never in the squad."

"That was different. We have order to protect the local population."

"Sometime we do, sometime we don't. Red, we all talked about you, especially when you have that pistol. That pistol cause the death every time somepony touches it. Risnerv, Allen and Garnett, even Grim all touches it and lost their lives."

"And how would you know?" said Red, raising his voice, causing attention around them.

Twilight was stunned but replied back with a low tone, "Cause I do. We all do. We don't even know if we want to stay under you command."

Red has no answer for that. He got up and left, not even noticing Rainbow as he walk away, angry.

After he left, Rainbow walk over and sat down next to Twilight and asks her, "What was all that about?"

"Something." Twilight shook her head then went back to watch the field in front of her.

As the squad begin questioning Red leadership, there is no tell if they want to continue this fight with him anymore.

Evening fell over the area as traffic on Hell's Highway begins to flow through Koevering. Sitting near the road and lending against the side of Venda, Red watches as the convoy move by when Applejack walk up to him, lay on Venda next to him and said, "Look like we finally got the line moving again."

"Keep walking." Red said without looking at her.

Applejack at Red and replied, "I know about Fluttershy."

"What about Fluttershy?"

"You know…" Applejack begin when she talk without looking at Red, "What happen back at region."

This surprised Red as he look at her when Applejack continue, "I talked to her back at Mormelon. She seem real quiet at first after what happened back there but seem to open up, trying to let out all those feeling that she carry around. She often wondered why you not doing anything to protect her."

This is enough for Red to grab Applejack by the collar and pushes her against the side of Venda, as well as yelling, "What do you want!"

"That the thing, Red! You're hiding something from those dead soldiers! Allen and… whatever that other fella name."

"Garnett." Red said through his clench teeth.

"Yeah. If you don't tell the other what happened to them, then I will." She push Red off her and before she could walk away, she added, "It your choice, partner."

As Red sat and watches Applejack walk away from him, he came across another flashback…

Saint Come du Mont

June 8

0830 hours

After Fluttershy told Red what happened to Allen and Garnett, Red didn't say anything.

Instead, he brought his face closer to Fluttershy and said to her in a low voice, "Fluttershy, don't tells anyone of what you just told me."

"But why?" Fluttershy choked out through tears.

Red looks at her straight in the eyes then said, "Because they'll kill you."

**AN: I'm pretty sure most of you will be wondering what happen to Allen and Garnett or asking who the hell are they. To find out who they are, go to part one and read the chapter "Written Stone". It suppose to be the climax of the whole trilogy but I won't be able to tell you what happen to them, it'll be reveal in part 3, I'll promise you that.**

**I'll apologize to you that there is no battle in this chapter but there is some sort of violence in the beginning of this chapter, if you know what I mean.**

**See you on the other side then. **


	10. Black Friday

Chapter 20

_BLACK FRIDAY_

September 24

Southwest of Veghel

Driving up on Hell's Highway near the outskirt of Veghel, the Equestrian squad, plus it platoon, are all stuck in traffic in their jeeps under the pouring rain, wondering what going on.

In one of the jeeps, Friar, Marsh and LaRoach are sitting with Peter.

After the moment of silence, Marsh asked Peter who is sitting on the passenger seat, "How it going, Peter?"

"Now that funny coming from you!" Friar exclaimed from the driver seat, chuckling.

Behind him, LaRoach lend over and smack Friar in the back of the head.

"Ow! What the hell did you do that for?" Friar yelp as he turn to face LaRoach who then replies, "Doesn't feel like long ago, does it?"

"I don't really notice it much," said Peter as he touch the side of his head, feeling for his damaged ear that he lost back at Knight Wood, "To be honest, seems a mite selfish to get all worked up over losing half an ear."

"Had you got the remain of it?" Friar asks him.

"Well yeah," Peter exclaimed, "If I lost the damn thing, how else was I suppose to get it back together once this is all over?"

"You just staple it together." Marsh suggested, only getting smack by LaRoach.

A couple of jeeps up front are Red, Rarity, Jasper and Spike riding on Venda.

With Red as a driver, Rarity called out from the passenger seat next to him, "I want five minutes with General Taylor to voice how little I like driving in columns like this!"

"Rarity… what?" Red said next to her, confused.

Behind them, Spike said to Jasper next to him, "We're stuck in traffic. In a war."

Then Rarity complains again, "I'm just saying, five minutes and we don't get stalled out everything something get broken!"

After that, shots ring out at the column and the squads quickly jumps out of their jeeps and take cover.

Peter went over to Red and said to him, "Rendezvous at Checkpoint Eighteen! I think it a church. Meet me there and don't be late!" Then, went to gather his squad and begin to lead them into Veghel.

Red gathers his squad together and led them to the village plaza.

As they reach the plaza, they were taking fire from Moratins machine gun and small arms fires.

The squad took cover behind some wall or fences; they soon return fire at the enemy in front of them.

"Jasper!" Red yell at his bazooka man, "Take out that MG!" and pointed at the middle of the plaza where an emplacement is set up.

"On it!" Jasper yelled back as he fire at the emplacement, missing it but it enough to keep the Moratins heads down.

While the enemy is pinned down, Red ran to some supple trucks that are next to the emplacement and pour fire into it.

After clearing them out, another group of enemy soldiers arrive on the scene and soon counterattack them.

Red order Applejack MG to open up and sent his Fire Team to another wall to get into a better firing position.

"Rainbow! You and your team need to follow me!" Red yelled at his Assault Team and gallop through a destroyed shed to the rear of the enemy position.

While they were crossing, there were a lot of comments and encouragements like, "I got one!" or "I got to reload" or even, "Engaging rubber chicken!"

When Applejack needs to reload, she pats Pinkie in the head who then handed her a rubber chicken.

"No Pinkie! Stop giving me that!" Applejack said as she grabs an ammo box next to Pinkie.

"I couldn't help it!" Pinkie replied as she holds up Boneless, "He made so many progresses, see?" She show Applejack Boneless kill sheet.

Applejack was amazed by the chicken kills then shook her head and asks her, "Wait a minute, how in the hillbilly did a fake rubber chicken do that?"

"It easy, watch." Pinkie said then she got up and threw the rubber chicken at a Moratin not far from them as she yell, "Boneless, I choose you!"

Boneless sail through the air and right when he hit the Moratin in the shoulder, the Moratin exploded with a red mist in the air. Then, somehow Boneless survive the blast as he sail back into the air and landed by Pinkie who happily grab him and said to Applejack, "See? What did I tell ya?"

Applejack didn't say anything. She reload her gun and kept firing.

Meanwhile, Red and the Assault Team got into position and begin attacking. During the firefight, Red notice that most of the Moratins are taking cover in a building next to the door.

Seeing that this is his opportunity to take them out, Red took out his frag grenade and yell, "Watch out! I'm throwing a grenade!" then pull the pin and tosses it.

The grenade bounces into the window where the Moratins are at and exploded.

In slow-motion when the explosion occurred, blood and body parts are flying everywhere, even through the window as the Moratins die.

Now back to normal after the explosion, the remaining enemy forces were either killed or were retreating back into the village, allowing the squad to push deeper into enemy territory.

When they reaches the village square, they could all hear a motor rumbling up ahead behind a brick wall.

As soon as they realizes what it was, a Tiger tank crashes through the wall and begin to roll toward the squad with supporting infantry units on both side.

As they were moving toward them, Red order everyone in his squad to take cover and suppress fire on the infantry.

As they Moratins took cover, their tank is still roaming around the square, shooting everything in sight.

"Jasper!" Red yelled as he changed positions between walls.

"On it!" Jasper yelled back as he and Friar position themselves between the city hall and the blacktop road.

When the tank crosses into their field of fire, Friar patted Jasper in the head and Jasper yelled, "Go get 'em, Stelia!" and fire his bazooka.

The rocket let out with a roar as it fly out of the tube and hit the tank turret but it bounces off the armor without even exploding.

The tank stop right in front of them and turn it turret with it main gun facing toward them.

"Oh shit!" Friar said to Jasper when the tank stop, "We must've pissed them off!"

"You think?" Jasper shot back as Rarity yelled not far from them, "Oh for heaven sake, run for it!" but neither Jasper nor Friar could move a muscle as they froze in front of the tank like deer's in front of a headlight.

Before the tank could fire, an AP [armor piercing] round slam at the tank rear, setting it on fire.

While the tank crew is bailing out, Jasper and Friar regained their senses and begin to retreat back to the squad who is position fifteen feet's away from the burning Tiger.

On the road behind them, a Sherman Firefly appeared and started to engage on the Moratin infantry scattered all over the square.

The squad watches in awe then begin to fight back on the Moratins.

During the firefight, Red ran over to the Sherman as the hatch popped open and out came a stallion wearing a Canadian tanker uniform.

The stallion saw Red running over to him and exclaimed, "Oi! It must've been you Yankees showing off to the Moras these days. Lieutenant Richardson from the 4th Yorkshire Armored Brigade at your service."

"Thank for you help," Red nodded, "Is there anymore of you out there?"

The firefight ceased as Richardson replied with a shrug, "I'm not sure about that, mate. Me and my boys were the only one that made this far when those Moras came in with a large force when they were trying to cut the highway. I believed that the Brigade are going to come in from the northwest from here. We're going to go over there but I do need help from you chaps to take out as many anti-tanks gun and foot soldiers so it'll be safe for my boys to come in."

Red nodded again and said to him, "Sound like a plan. Let me go and get my squad then we'll start clearing out the area."

Red then rushes over to where his squad is and explain them the situation.

"Are we seriously to fight with a bunch of Canadians?" Friar said after the briefing with Pinkie exclaiming, "You can talk?"

"Yes we are," Marsh said as he look at him, "You got a problem with that?"

Friar replied back with a shrug, "I'm just saying."

As the squad went to the Sherman tank, Twilight said to Spike, "I wonder what's up with Friar."

"He probably doesn't like those tankers." Spike replied without even looking at her, "Must be a problem after all."

"We still need to get to Checkpoint Eighteen to link up with Peter's squad."

"Not that what I'm afraid of."

As the Sherman move forward out of the square, the squad, as well as other ponies they picked up who were separated from their units, make sure they stayed ahead of the tank to watch for mines or anti-tank guns as they fight their way toward the edge of the village.

Using the same tactic that the ponies learned back at Ponyville, Twilight and this time, Rainbow, are both on the back of the tank, relaying fire messages on the enemy positions in front of them,

While advancing, the Allied soldiers came across another plaza but it was heavily patrol by enemy armor and infantry.

Red signal Rainbow to stop the tank who then relay a message through her radio to the tankers.

When the Sherman stop and switch off it engine, the squad went ahead to recon the area.

After finding that the enemy have Three Panzer Mark IVs, a T-34, couple of armor carriers and a dozen of infantry, Red told the squad to hold position behind a fence and silently crawled back to the Sherman and report to Richardson, Twilight and Rainbow of what he seen.

Richardson nodded and ask what the plan.

"The plan is," Red begin, "We'll spilt up and hit them from the weak spots. Twilight, take your team, the MG team and the Assault and go around the plaza and hit them hard from behind. I'll take the bazooka team and the stragglers that we've picked up and flank the Moratins from the right. Richardson, make sure you and your crew got your weapons lock and loaded in case the enemy try to flank us. You should get a full view of the plaza from right here."

"Not a problem, mate." Richardson grinned.

"Rainbow, sniper support. Also, stay here and make sure the no enemy reinforcement are coming in. If they do, call in Puffy if you have to."

"Who's Puffy?" Rainbow asked, confused.

"The AC-130 that is up in the sky watching over is."

"We didn't we called it in earlier?" Twilight said to Red.

"I don't know. I don't have the radio. Now, we got to hit them hard and fast. Those tankers outside of the village are counting on us. Good luck."

The meeting broke up and Red and Twilight went back to the other.

When they got there, Red explain them the situation quietly and assigned each of them to their tasks when Red said to them, "Remember, use the Four F's. It'll be a lot easier than hitting them head-on, especially if they have tanks. Any questions?"

Pinkie raised her hoof and exclaimed, "OOOO! OOOO!"

"Yes Pinkie?"

"Can we have cupcakes?" she said, taking out a tray of cupcakes behind her.

"Wait, how did you-," Rarity was beginning to say but Pinkie interrupt her, "It was a couple minutes ago when I found a bakery and went inside and found these cupcakes so I-,"

"Fine," Red said without letting her finish, "We can have them after this.

"Yay!" Pinkie exclaimed quietly, so quietly that no words were coming out from her mouth, just like a rush of air.

After that, they all went into their positions. To get to their place, Twilight group has to move, carefully not to expose themselves, by moving through alleyways, houses, jumping behind walls, fences and burned out vehicles.

They got into positions as Red and his group got to the right side of the plaza.

After everyone is in place, Red waited for one of the tank and foot soldiers to pass by then whispered to Jasper next to him, "When they move to the other side, wait for my command and open fire on one of the tanks."

Jasper nodded and patted Friar to get ready while Red told the other ponies who is with him to suppress fire when Jasper let out his explosive.

When one of the Panzer tank make a turn, exposing it rear to Jasper, Red give Jasper the command to fire. The overanxious bazooka man got up, aim over a wall and fire. The rocket hit the tank from 30 yards away, sitting it aflame.

Right when this happened, Red yelled, "Suppressive fire!" and the ponies open fire.

While the Moratins take cover and fire back at them, the tank crew bail out from their burning tank but were pick of by Twilight group one-by-one.

During the assault, Red and a few other ponies ran to the side and flank the enemy position, taking it out.

When they were crossing a street, a T-34 saw them and open fire with it turret machine gun.

Bullets kicked up all around them when one of the ponies took it in the leg and fell in the middle of the road, screaming, "I'm hit!"

While the wounded soldiers screamed, the two other ponies from the group reaches him and tried to drag him out but were both shot down, leaving Red the only one left standing.

Red tried to get to the stallion but, with heavy fire from the tank, he ended up staying behind a wall and watch in horror as the tank advance up the road toward the stallion.

The stallion kept on screaming and crying for help as the tank thread is inches away from his head.

From the other side of the plaza, Twilight saw this and looked away, not wanting to see what happen next to that helpless stallion.

She turn to order her Fire Team to suppress on a Moratin sandbag emplacement and the MG Team on an enemy machine gun nest on one of the building.

When Twilight change positions, she felt the air of a tank round passed over her head and exploded at a building behind her, knocking her and the other ponies near her forward on the ground from the concussion.

When she got up, Twilight saw one of the Panzer tanks advancing and shooting at them.

When he saw the enemy tank attacking Twilight group, Richardson went inside her tank and said to his crew, "Alright lads! Those Yanks need our help. Cole, line your shot on the Moras tank. It about 50 yards northeast from here and do it fast!"

"Aye!" said Cole and work the tank turret and line it on the Panzer tank.

When he got the Panzer in his sight, Cole said to the loader, "Ed! I need an AP round now!"

The loader, Edward, quickly got an AP round from the round sack then jammed it into the gun breach, close it and yelled, "Ready!"

When he said this, Richardson yelled, "Fire!"

Cole took a deep breath and press the trigger.

Outside and on top of the tank, Rainbow felt the tank rocked and saw the Panzer tank in front of them exploded as the AP round went through the Panzer armor and hit it ammo depot, sending the tank into a great fireball.

After the explosion, Rainbow scanned through the scope of her sniper rifle when the tank hatch open and Richardson came out halfway and said to Rainbow there a large enemy convoy closing in from the east.

"We got to do something now!" Richardson said again, waiting for Rainbow to respond.

Rainbow stare at him then replied, "What do you think we should do?"

"What do you think? Call in that thing that lad said!"

"Oh, where's the enemy."

When she said this, six enemy tanks and a platoon of infantry showed up from the east, turning the tide of the battlefield to their favor.

In the middle of the plaza, Red saw the convoy and, since he couldn't fall back because of the T-34, went to the water fountain.

Before he could move, Red remember the bazooka team is on the other side behind him so he turn and yelled at Jasper to take out the tank.

While Jasper is attacking the tank, Applejack spotted the convoy and yelled, "We need to defilade and fall back!"

Twilight fall back to buildings behind them and soon fired at the newcomers.

While Richardson is firing his tank, Rainbow got on her radio and request for some air support from the AC-130 above them.

"Copy that." Said the receiver, "We could see you getting beaten up from here. Stand clear so we can engage."

Moment later, the enemy convoy was lit up by 105, 55 and 20mm rounds form Puffy above.

The six enemy tanks tried to get out of the firing area but were quickly knock out.

After the area cleared, the radioman from the AC-130 above spoke through the radio, "Targets destroyed. You are now clear to move through the city. Good luck."

Then the line went dead.

After the AC-130 lit up like hell on the Moratins, Red got up and saw Jasper finally took out the T-34. Then, Red waved his arm in the circle while shouting, "Recon, fall in!"

He gather everyone and together walked over to the Sherman, excited about their victory.

Then, Sherman and Abrams tanks showed up on the plaza from the north side.

"Look like we did it." LaRoach said to everyone around him, "We've just lick them through."

Richardson came out of his tank and exclaimed, "You Yanks did one hell of a fine job here!"

"We're not even American." Rarity said to him but Richardson replied back with a laugh, "It doesn't matter what you are. This is all I ever want to see them Moras get their little butts kicked."

Then, Cole came out of the tank holding a bottle of brandy while saying, "I'd saved this for special occasion. Do any of you luck fellows like a drink for a celebration?"

"Or a cupcakes!" said Pinkie, taking out a tray of cupcakes, "Can't have a party without cupcakes!"

The squad said goodbyes to Richardson and his crew and went over to the north of Veghel to an area where they're suppose to meet up with Peter unit.

When they approach to a church there, Peter and Corrion were sitting near the entrance, waiting.

Corrion spotted the squad and shout at them, "It about time you showed up. Where have you been?"

"You don't want to know." Red said to them and walk inside.

After they settled down on the pews with other soldiers, Rarity made a remarked to Marsh and LaRoach about how beautifully the church was made.

But Fluttershy cut in, saying, "I'm not trying to be rude or anything, Rarity, but how did we develop religious beliefs in Equestria?"

"That what I want to know." Says Rainbow, "When did we have any religious faith? Who even made this place?"

While they were arguing about the church, Spike said to Friar next to him, "Hey Friar, how come you don't like those tankers back there? Were you acting like you don't want alongside with them?"

"I wasn't acting," said Friar, "I just don't like the Canadians for a number of reasons."

"Boston Tea Party!" Jasper shouted as he sat down next to Spike.

"What? No! That the British. I just don't like the Canadians cause I don't"

Marsh heard them and walk over them and sat down next to Friar, saying, "You're saying you don't like me? Cause you're talking to a Canadian right here."

Marsh is going to punch Friar so Friar responded, "No offense on you, Marsh."

"None taken."

Jasper thought for a moment then added, "I like Canada."

"Have you been there?" Marsh said to him, surprised.

"No," Jasper said, shaking his head side to side, "I know they're the nicest people in the world."

"Then, what they whole point of you liking them?" said Friar, growing impatient. Then, he was smack in the back of the head by Marsh.

Back at the argument about faith, Pinkie ran up to them and shouted, "Guys, there is something that you should know!"

"What do you mean?" Rainbow asks Pinkie.

"First of all," Pinkie begin then she speak rapidly, "We are fictional characters created by Canadians and that this whole thing is all about!"

"Wow," Applejack said, amazed, "That just-,"

Then Red ran over and yelled, "Let go! The Moratins are attacking along the highway and we got to move! Stop eating those damn cupcakes and get the hell up!"

Everyone in the church stormed out of the building, jumps to their jeeps and race out of Veghel to take on the enemy.

While everyone is getting out, nobody seem to notice an GI helmet with a number 13 on it, a reading glasses and an American jacket neatly stacked on a crate next to the alter.

Being the last one out, Red notice the objects but never want to know who its belong to.

He knows about the glasses and the jacket but the helmet signified the lost of a fallen brother.

The squad, as well as those who are going to fight against the Moratins, might never know they'll be walking right into hell once they get to Hell's Highway.


	11. Hell's Highway

Chapter 21

_HELL'S HIGHWAY_

September 25

Few miles northeast from Koevering

0230 hours

The black sky is red from the flame from burning buildings, windmills, and vehicles as the Equestrian squad raced down Hell's Highway, driving around burning vehicles that were caught in the attack that the Moratins attempted earlier to cut the highway.

While driving Venda, Marsh said to those who were riding with him, "Any ideas how serious this attack is?"

"You mean reports that there a large enemy forces that has already cut the highway?" Applejack said behind him.

"Yeah but I'm not risking my life trying to protect a ten-miles highway."

"Those boys up at Arnhem are counting on us to protect this highway so XXX Corp could drive up and get to Arnhem ASAP." Red said from the passenger seat, "And beside, we really have no choice but to keep this highway open to pressure the Moratins out of this world."

When he said this, the flash of Grim firing the .45 and screaming his last word fill Red mind, taking him back to Knight Wood. He went back to focus when Spike behind him said with an expression shown on his face, "Why would we send those British and the Equestrian paraponies way far behind enemy line? I heard ponies say we sent them 'A Bridge too Far'. I don't think we be able too-,"

Before he could finish, artillery shells exploded all over them.

"Oh shit!" Marsh screamed as he dodges the incoming shells.

"Turn! Turn!" Red yelled to Marsh as Marsh drove Venda off the road and crash into a tree. The other jeeps also drove off the road and stop behind Venda.

"Shit," says Marsh, getting up and rubbing his head after he hit it on the steering wheel, "I'm so fire."

"Is everyone alright?" Red said to Spike and Applejack, who both nodded.

"I'm going to check with the other jeeps." Marsh said as he got out of the jeep and went to check with the other.

Before he could reach the first jeep, he was shot in the hip by enemy fire coming from the road behind them.

"Marsh's down!" Rarity yelled after seeing Marsh get hit, "Defilade and take cover!"

As everyone take cover and return fire at the Moratins on the road, Fluttershy and Spike ran over to Marsh and drag him behind a fence to take cover from enemy fire.

While Fluttershy is pouring sulfas powder on Marsh wound and tending it, Spike calmly told Marsh that he'll be alright but Marsh wouldn't listen, he kept thinking he is going to die.

Meanwhile, Red orders the rest of the squad to advance toward the road.

On either side of the road are dikes that are filled with water that run parallel to the road. The only way to advance is to go through the road itself, which is filled with burning vehicles, dead bodies and Moratins soldiers.

There were always this old saying that a soldier say with it come to this; _**the only way out of hell**_, _**is though it.**_

The squad fought through the labyrinth of the flame of hell and approach to a stable off to their left. But on there right is an 88mm gun pointing directly at the road from only about 120 yards away, sending deadly shells at the squad.

The squad got off the road into a clearing in front of the stable and begin to receive harassing fire from two enemy MG, including with a squad of enemy soldiers, coming from the stable.

While protected behind a log, Red ordered Twilight next to him to take Jasper and Friar to go and destroy the artillery gun.

An 88 round came by and exploded dangerously close, miraculously no one got hurt from the shrapnel's but it did cause some ears ringing.

"Go!" Red yelled, sending Twilight who quickly went and order the bazooka team to follow her and they ran across the highway, still under fire and got behind a stone wall next to the artillery gun 50 yards away.

While Twilight group is attacking the gun, Red a command at his squad, "I need suppressive fire now! Take out those covers and hit them hard!"

Behind a tree, Rainbow is lying prone while sniping one of the enemy machine guns crews one-by-one.

Behind a truck not far from Rainbow, Rarity pump her grenade launcher rounds and watches it exploded on an enemy position by the highway.

As she was receiving fire, she turns and saw Fluttershy, Spike and Marsh running up to her, crouching down as they ran.

When they got to her, Rarity saw to them, confuse, "What the? I thought you were going to evacuate Marsh to and aid station?"

"Oh, he fine," says Fluttershy, taking cover next to Rarity, "it is not a serious wound."

"What?" Rarity said, raising her voice above the sound of combat, "I can't hear you! You're voice is to quiet!"

"I said-,"

Then another artillery shell exploded, sending enough concussion to knock them down.

When they got up, Fluttershy scream almost like a shout, "Why can't they ever gives us the chance to live?" then begin to cry.

"Oh, darling, not now!" Rarity said, trying to soot her.

While this is happening, Marsh and Spike ran over to a log where Applejack and Pinkie are at, manning the machine gun.

When they got there, Spike said to Applejack, "Fluttershy is having another emotional breakdown."

"Again?" said Applejack while reloading her SAW with Pinkie.

"Yeah," says Spike, taking off discarded rounds off the machine gun receiver, "Why couldn't we just get her out of here?"

"I've been wondering the same thing," says Applejack, cocking her gun. Then she said, "Hey Pinkie! You still got some of that-," she look to her right and realized Pinkie is not with her.

While Rainbow is sniping, she got one of the Moratin in her sight and was about to pull the trigger when Pinkie jump in front of her, exclaiming, "Hi, Rainbow Dash!"

"Ah!" Rainbow screamed and accidentally pulls the trigger. The bullet passed Pinkie head by an inch.

"Pinkie! Get to cover!" Rainbow yell at the pink pony but Pinkie hop into the middle of the firefight, not even worrying about the dangers all around her, just into one of her happy day.

She pop out of nowhere behind one of the enemy positions then another then another. This caused confusion among the enemy line as Pinkie kept on popping out of nowhere.

Back on the other side of the highway, Twilight toss an grenade and finally disable the gun.

When the artillery fire lifted up, Red notice it then yelled at his squad, "Let get 'em while we still have the chance!" then got up and charge at the stable.

With the enemy confused, Red tosses a grenade through the stable window and went to the door.

After the grenade gone off, he went in, taking out any enemy survivors left in there, follow by Rainbow, Marsh and LaRoach.

While they clear out the stable, the rest of Red squad went around and attack another MG nest.

Pinkie is still playing around with the Moratins, first playing hopscotch then tag.

When she spotted her teammates, she stop and waved at them, not noticing a Moratin that is about to stab her from behind.

When he was about to make his move, he was shot through the eye by Twilight M-14 as she and her group race back across the highway to rejoin the squad.

After that, Red, Rainbow, LaRoach and Marsh all came out of the stable, all covered in dust as they walk toward their squad.

"Now what?" Twilight said when she saw them.

"We got to keep moving," Red replied, brushing himself from dust, "Rainbow just got a message that there an expected counterattack coming up ahead. We got to hold them off till reinforcement arrives to close the gap." After briefing them the situation, Red and the squad advance northwest of the city to take on the counterattack.

The sky glow dark red as fire from all over the area as it shine brighter and brighter.

While they were advancing, the squad picked up a group of stragglers from other units as they were going to the same objective.

After picking up about forty soldiers, they came across a train station that led into Koevering.

Red stop the group when he said to them, "Alright, we're going to dig in and set up a perimeter around this station. The Moratin are most likely going to attack through here so I want everyone to check their weapons and ammo and ask each other if they're okay. Those of you that don't want to fight can leave and I won't try to put this in the paperwork. Who's leaving?"

After finding that no one want to leave, Red continue, "Okay, this may be their biggest attack yet so we got to keep this road open for the sake of Arnhem. Good luck and let raise them hell."

While they were setting up their positions, Red discovered that choosing the train station is the best place to defend from a heavy counterattack.

To the north of the train station is a large wheat field, which will be covered by Red bazooka team and other anti-tank teams from other units. The wheat field is an ideal place for the Moratin to launch their armor attack.

To the west of the train station is a group of buildings with no road which is occupied by Applejack machine gun team, Twilight Fire team and other combat units from the train station.

To the east and south of them is Koevering and Hell's Highway.

The rest of the ponies either defend in or around the train station but the main problem is that they are low of ammunitions on every weapon and worse, their morale.

Since it obvious that the train station is about 80 yards off from the highway, soldiers now called this station, "Hell's Station" since they knew they will get the bulk of the attack aimed for the highway.

After checking the positions, Red sat down near the conductor office in the train station and open his canteen to take a sip.

When he put it away, he lays his head against the wall and close his eyes, only to have a flashback of Grim on top of the trench back at Knight Wood, holding the Death pistol while facing the enemy.

Everything was in slow-motion as he slowly raised the pistol and pulled the trigger; firing one shot as the gun ejected a single cartridge out and it spin to the ground, with a voice that could be heard in the background, "_Every soldier has two families to raise and to raise hell with."_

Then, Grim is now on the ground, blood pouring out of his mouth as the voice said again, "_Then, there were mistakes."_

Then another flashback showing Fluttershy in the middle of the road, crying as Allen and Garnett lay on either side of her, dead.

Fluttershy looked up, tear in her eyes as she screamed, "_Red!"_

Red open his eyes when he heard gunfire and explosion coming from outside.

Then, Twilight came through the door and found Red sitting against the wall.

She went over to him and said, "Red! The Moratin are attacking right now. We got to move!"

She help Red up to his hooves, who then put on his robotic hands and then they went outside to take cover as the Moratin are approaching with tanks and infantry.

As predicted, the Moratin had sent their tanks through the field, unaware of the traps laid out by the Allied soldiers that they'll be walking into it.

With the enemy closing in, every defenders of the train stations ready their guns as Red shout out the order, "Don't fire till you see the white of their eyes!" Then he turn to the anti-tank units, "When they get to the side of the field, open fire!"

With everyone briefed, all there left to do is to wait for the enemy to come at them.

All there is of sound is the rumbling of tank tracks, the crackling of the burning fire and gunfire echo out into the distance.

Some of the defenders made a sign of the cross and make peace with their gods as the real nightmare is coming toward them.

When an enemy tank almost pass the field line, Red yelled, "Open fire!"

Then, the area erupted with gunfire and explosions from all over the train station.

Out of 15 Moratins tanks, only three were left undamaged in just three minutes.

The Moratin infantry units were destroyed as they tried to reach the buildings on their left.

The defenders took out the first wave of the Moratin attack, then moment later, the second wave came in with a much larger forces then the first one, occupied with heavy tanks and armored carriers.

Unlike the first one, the Moratins open fire on the train station and buildings that houses the MG teams.

In one of the buildings, Applejack, along with several soldiers, is firing her SAW from the first floor when a tank round crashes and exploded on her left, killing a couple of soldiers as well as destroying her machine gun.

"No!" she yelled after seeing her SAW destroyed then took out her revolver and fire at the enemy infantry but an grenade exploded nearby, spraying shrapnel all over her.

Pinkie saw Applejack get hit then ran over to help her up, saying, "Alright, Applejack, stop playing around! We got to get you to the aid station!"

"Who we?" said Applejack, dizzy from the concussion.

"Oh, me and the narrator." Pinkie replied with a smile then took Applejack to the aid station, which is actually the train station.

Trying to save ponies life, Fluttershy and other medical workers, are rushing to give treatments to the wounded but more and more wounded are coming in by the second.

Those who are seriously wounded were taken out of the battlefield by stretcher-bearers and into Koevering for further medical treatments.

The cried for medics were all over the line so Fluttershy ran in and out to the wounded.

When Pinkie brought Applejack in, Fluttershy saw them came and went over to help Applejack down and ask her were she hit.

"I'm fine, Fluttershy," says Applejack, taking a sip of water from her canteen, "There are other ponies that need your help more than me."

"But, you did say that when we were back at the Crystal City," says Fluttershy then she exclaimed, "You need my help!"

"I'm fine; I got to get back to combat. You got to let me go!"

Right when Applejack finishes her sentence, an explosions occurred, shattering glass around them as well as killing a couple of wounded that were lying closer to the window.

Then, Fluttershy said with an okay sign, "Okay, if you get hurt again, tell me alright?"

Fluttershy went back to the wounded while Pinkie help Applejack up and they went outside to rejoin the fight. They were taking cover when a tank round came and hit directly on a pony, blowing him into cloud of blood and debris.

After repelling the third and fourth waves, tanks, vehicles and bodies now littered all over the battlefield.

Over by a wall near the train station, Red was observing the area when Twilight came up to him and reported that there is only 12 ponies left standing to defend the train station.

"Only twelve?" said Red, not believing of what he's hearing, "What the hell happened to all the other units?"

"Either dead or wounded." came the reply.

Then, Rainbow ran over to them and exclaimed, "The buildings have been overrun. What do we do now?"

"We still got to defend this place at all cost," say Red, then he ordered his squad behind walls while facing the field.

When they got into positions, they couldn't help but noticed that the world around them has gone dark red, like blood. The reason for this is because their visions has been adapted by the fires all around them, which their brightness had changed the color of the environment.

Then, not a moment too soon, the final attack begins, not with twenty enemy tanks and a company of infantry marching toward the train station.

When he saw them from about 300 yards away, Red quickly order Rainbow to request for an air strike, but only to a response that the radio has been destroyed from the earlier wave.

"We got nothing but ourselves!" she said to Red, which devastated over the loss of the only way to call for help.

"We don't have enough rounds to hold them off!" said Friar next to Rainbow.

Twilight took out a stack and said to them, "But we do have a bundle of C-4s."

Red look at the stack then exclaimed, "Alright, we'll use the C-4s to knock out the tanks. But don't waste too much ammo on one target. There will be more to come."

About a minute later, another attack begins.

Red orders the MG and the Fire team to suppress the enemy from the left and the middle while the Assault covers the right.

With the infantry getting mowed down, Red waited for the tanks to get close enough for him to run and place charges on the vent, destroying the tank.

The more and more enemy tanks and infantry kept on arriving, the more and more they will get destroyed and the more blood red the world became as the fight continue on.

The squad gone through all of their ammo as the final part of the wave arrived and, when they were about to fire at the squad, they were flank and destroyed by Allied tanks that start coming in from their right and shooting at the Moratins that are falling back.

During the firefight, the squad at the train station didn't do anything, no cheering or all that but just watching as the world around them return to normal color.

With the area secured and the highway open once again, the squad regroup back on the platform at the train station, watching ponies taking away bodies and burning vehicles out of the former battlefield.

Out of 53 ponies that defended Hell's Station, only the Equestrian squad that make it out alive.

Then, Fluttershy came out of the train station, uniform and hooves drenched in blood from the wounded.

When Rainbow saw her, she almost burst into tears then look away, not wanting to show it.

"I can't believe we're still alive," says LaRoach, face pale, "We fought for three hours and the only one out of this hellish fight while everyone else are either dead or just gone."

Then, Jasper added with a grim face, "So much has happened. It could've been me getting shot but I didn't. I'm still alive while they're not."

Returning from one of the tanks, Red told them they're be moving out to Uden, ten miles northeast from Koevering.

The squad gather what remaining things they have then begin to leave Hell's Station.

Being the last one out, Red look back across the station and the surrounding area, which is sill littered with bodies.

They all gives their lives defending this little place while trying to reopen the highway from the Moratin but not only that, they took part on the most hellish fight they ever encountered in this war.

_This is not what this world made for_, Red thought as he put on his helmet then gallop to his squad who were waiting by the jeeps.

They made have survived through hell but there more where that came from as they make their way to Uden, as well Arnhem and the Crystal Mountain.

**AN: Well, there you have it. Beside this chapter bear the name of the story title, you got to know that this is the climax of the story, you know the raise and fall thing. Anyway, now the main part is done, it is time to bring back the character that usually everyone been wondering where he been since the first part.**

**Not trying to be a spoiler but why don't you just go have a look.**

**I think that all I got so far but I'm blaming myself for not making this chapter bloodier than all the other chapter.**

**Well, I guess it time to**

**Pinkie-See you on the other side!**

**Damn it Pinkie! What are you doing?**

**Pinkie-Well, I decided I want to go and visit all of my adorable fans after I got bored with the context. Beside, you're to say going to say I'm a fourth wall breaker and wanting to kick me out even though I've managed to get through Microsoft Word with only Google and wanting to see how sucky you are of typing your author note while eating Vanilla Ice Cream and watching Spongebob.**

**Get out.**

**Pinkie-Oh yeah and by the way, your grammar suck. **

**Fourth wall breaker.**


	12. Infinite Mischief

Chapter 22

_INFINITE MISCHIEF_

September 26

Uden

0600 hours

Ever since the reopening of Hell's Highway at Koevering, the squad, as well as other Allied soldiers, was beginning to realized that the longer XXX Corp get delay on the highway, the more both the 1st and 42nd Airborne up at Arnhem was getting destroy piece by piece by continues Moratin attack.

After pulling out of Koevering, the 101st were now being sent up toward the front line to make way for XXX Corp.

As the Equestrian squad and the rest of the 506th is getting ready to leave Uden, Red was called to the platoon meeting that is taking place at a field tent next to the road.

When Red walked in, he was surprised to find Ace and Peter at a table looking over a map.

"Wish to see me?" Red asks Ace, walking up to the table and stands next to Peter.

"Yeah," says Ace, looking up from the map, showing his visible facial hair on his chin, "I got an order saying that we have to go and link up with the 42nd at Valkendwaard. The Arnhem boys have really got the hell from the Moratin armor."

"Is that why we're packing up?" Peter aid in almost a childish voice, "I kinda like it here."

"Just shut up and go to your squad. We got to move out now." Ace dismissed the meeting and both Red and Peter got out of the tent and begin walking toward their squads with Red asking Peter how he survived Hell's Highway.

"It was easy," Peter begin by adjusting his helmet, "I got sent to the west of town where there weren't that many firefight going on. I did hear rumors saying that there was a squad that ended up holding off a counterattack by defending a train station."

He looks at Red when he suddenly realized that it was 3rd squad that actually defended that train station that the rumors have stated.

"Don't say anything," Red told Peter as he was about to say something, "I just don't want to talk about it."

When they were about to depart, Peter said to Red, "You think we might be able to get to Arnhem by the end of this week?"

Red replied back by shaking his head side to side, "I don't think we will. With us getting our asses kicked once and the while, we won't be able to make it there at all."

Peter nodded in agreement then wishes Red goodbye and went to join his squad.

Red went over to his squad by the jeeps and explain them their new objective of what they are about to take in.

While everyone is checking their gears and weapons, Red notices that most of them hadn't slept in days, probably of the after-shock of what happened at Koevering.

The only pony who is making a fuss about this is Applejack.

After she got her weapon destroyed during the reopening of Hell's Highway, Applejack was given a M1918 M1A1 Browning machine gun, on which she dislike because of it functioning and firepower is quite different then what she normally do for her SAW.

Not only that, most of the squad members hadn't even bath their uniforms or themselves. Except for Rarity, of course, who carry around a bag of things to wash herself, her uniform and even her gun from getting dirty.

While she was loading her gear on the back of Venda, she had forgot something so she turn and said to Applejack next to her, "Applejack, sweetie, would you be a dear to go and retrieve my bag for me?"

"What bag? Ye already got a ton of bags over there." Applejack pointed at the rest of Rarity gears that are on top of Venda backseat, "And why did ye even need those anyway?"

"Oh, how am I supposed to keep myself clean if I don't have my bag that has all of my clean bottles and perfume?" Rarity wined.

Applejack raised an eyebrow then turn to walk away, saying, "Why couldn't ye do it yourself?" leaving Rarity to continue asking ponies on something that wasn't really important.

While Rarity is going around complaining, Rainbow sat near a table, adjusting her scope on her sniper rifle when Fluttershy came up to her and whispered, "Um… Rainbow? Can I… talk to you?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Um… do you think it possible for me to make a transfer?" When she said the last part, she barely said it in a clear voice.

Rainbow stop on what she doing and look at Fluttershy with an expression, saying, "Fluttershy, what?"

Fluttershy winced when Rainbow replied then she said, "Well, I thought it could be best if we could-,"

Before she could say anything else, Red yelled out, "3rd squad! Let get moving!"

Fluttershy then said to Rainbow, "Never mind." Then went over to a jeep, leaving Rainbow standing there wondering if Fluttershy meant it.

The ponies load up on the three jeeps and began traveling back down on Hell's Highway.

On a jeep behind Venda, Pinkie was singing a traveling song when she notices a line of ponies walking on the side of the road to the opposite from which they are heading.

Pinkie stops singing and said to Twilight who is in the passenger seat, "Hey Twilight, why are those ponies not going to the direction of where we're going?"

Twilight look at them and replied, "I don't know. Seem to me they are not from our unit."

"Well, duh!" says Pinkie in a singsong voice, "If you actually look closer, their unit patch has a shield with a star on it."

"The shield with a star, you say?" Marsh said from the driver seat, eyes still on the road, "Something tells me that they are the 42nd."

"Say what now?" says Pinkie, confused.

"I'm not even sure we'll make it to Arnhem." Friar said, sitting next to Pinkie," The ponies up there might be gone by now."

"I hope that not the answer we're looking for." Said Twilight, looking back at the line of ponies that are seemed to be retreating away from the front.

But what is the reason for this?

The squad never made it to Valkendwaard like they're suppose to, but instead, they stopped at a village called Aalast, which is about eight miles north of Uden and five miles west of Nijmegen.

When thee squad, and the whole platoon, reaches the town outskirt, they were surprise to see the whole village in ruin and next to a burn-out bell tower is still the line of ponies retreating from the Arnhem sector, along with capture prisoner-of-wars, vehicles on either side and injured ponies walking down in a sorrow march, like they have lost a battle.

The squad parks their jeeps and settles down in a courtyard not far from the bell tower.

Without letting anyone knows what she doing, Fluttershy walk out of the courtyard to explore the village. She cannot face the fact of killing a pony back at Knight Wood behind her. She even promise she'll never kill nor take a life from a pony or a living being but she did something terrible that had put her in a emotional lockdown ever since Allen and Garnett deaths in the region.

Fluttershy went through a bomb-out building when she spotted something or someone that she has known ever since the war begins.

Rainbow, LaRoach and Marsh were standing around near a crate, talking to one another when they spotted Fluttershy coming back the way she came.

"Fluttershy!" Rainbow exclaimed, running over to Fluttershy and hug her, "Where have you been? I thought you ended up getting lost or worse."

"I'm fine, I was just exploring when I found somepony we've been wondering about."

Rainbow was shocked as she knew who it was. "Don't tell me." Rainbow was beginning to say but then Fluttershy step aside to reveal a person that almost everyone hated.

"Hello, everypony. I'm back!" Discord cheered then he grabs Rainbow and for some reason, Marsh and LaRoach too, into a group hug.

"I've figure." Rainbow said during the hug process, "How unpleasant for you to be here."

Discord chuckle, "Oh, Rainbow Dash, you still hadn't like me, not one bit." He drops the three ponies to the ground as he went to greet other ponies.

"Now who the hell is he?" Marsh asked Rainbow as they got back up.

"Someone you're going to hate soon." Rainbow replied back as she put on her helmet.

Red walk into the courtyard when something taps on his shoulder, causing him to turn his head to see who it was. There was no one behind him but as soon as he turn his head back around, Discord was so close to his face he said, "Boo."

Red yelps and falls to the ground, almost having a heart attack.

Discord also fell to the ground, laughing as he giggled, "Ha! That never gets old."

Red got up as he mumble, "Aw shit, not you again."

His helmet was lifted up with Discord inside it as he said, "Yes, it is I, Discord, the most powerful god of chaos in all of Equestria. And my, my, you ponies have grown a bit the last time I left Ponyville." He teleported back to the ground in full size with all the ponies looking at him, "Maybe I came into a wrong planet?"

"Nope," says Applejack walking up next to him, "This is the right universe alright."

Rainbow flew up to the same height as Discord as she questioned him, "So, Discord, where were you this whole time while we're off fighting in a war."

"Well," Discord begins by making a book appeared in his hands, "It all started when it happened at that awful day. As soon as it happened, a portal came up and sucks me into the fifth dimension with all the other magical creatures like me. All I ever did in there is sitting around watching you ponies fight those wicked ponies that tried to get me on their side."

"Wait, wait, wait," says Applejack, stopping the back-story, "The Moratins tried to convince you to join them so they can use you as a weapon against us?"

"Why yes," Discord nodded as he put the book away then a parchment scroll appeared before him, "They tried to invite me and all the villains to join them. They promised us once the war in won; they will give us all the power we need to rule over Equestria and the world. I thought this is the opportunity I've been waiting for and I do love all the chaos and violence in this war but then I remembered lovely Fluttershy lessons and all of my dear friends so I escaped by saying I was going to the bathroom."

"I knew you were a bad liar." Rarity said with a smiled on her face.

Applejack whispered to Rarity, "You got to admit, that was a pretty good escape."

"What happened to all the other villains that joined the Moratins?" Twilight asked, still not getting the whole story.

Discord created a hologram out of tin air as it shows the two worlds side by side with letters on top of it.

The world on the left is marked as Human world while on the right is the pony world.

Discord begin by pointing at the map, "As you can see, the Mooras or whatever you called them, sent them here where they couldn't use their powers."

Twilight gasped as she replied with a cold look, "That where all of my Canterlot High friends lives."

Applejack place her hoof on Twilight shoulder to calm her down, "Easy there, Twilight, there is nothing to worry about."

"Worry about? You expect me to calm down when my friends on another dimension is getting tears apart by a war just like us?" Twilight exclaimed with tears in her eyes.

She brushes them away as Applejack explained by pointing at the human world, "Remember back before D-Day at Ponyville when Cole said there another world like this one but it a human version? The army had put their best resources there and for your friends, I'm pretty sure there another version of Red leading them too safely. You got that all into that big brain of your?"

Twilight nodded. In fact, she understood it clearly to believe that her friends in another dimension has a similar situation like they do, fighting the Moratins out of their world.

Discord causes the hologram to disappear by snapping his finger as he said, "Now that I'm with my friends again, it time for me to fight alongside which you. Speaking of which, I need a same outfit like you."

He snaps his figure to transform himself to wearing a combat uniform.

"Ta da!" he exclaimed by showing off his uniform.

"Uh… Discord? That not our uniform." Says Applejack, first looking at Discord then was starting to laugh.

Rarity corrected Discord by telling him he's wearing the Moratins uniform.

"Oh," Discord blushed as he change uniform again.

"Hey! I was starting to like that!" Pinkie said by pointing at Discord, "Him being our enemy."

"You know what they say Pinkie," Red said by crossing his arms, "'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'."

Pinkie put two and two together then said with a derp face, "I don't get it."

Red face-planted himself as Discord finally got the same uniform as them; olive jacket with kakis pant and an American GI helmet. He places a stick as a rifle on his shoulder as he saluted, "Private Discord from the Buttercup Brigade reporting for duty!"

Jasper and Friar looks at each other as Discord pretend to cock the stick like it was a rifle followed with a sound of a bolt opening and closing.

"What is my assignment?" he was beginning to say when Rarity levitates Discord stick away with a remark, "On silly, here in an actual war, we use real firearms, not with a bundle of sticks."

"Okay," Discord snaps his figure for a weapon. He went from sword to pistol to machine gun to heavy artillery guns but he has no interests in them.

Red grew restless as Discord went through the gun selection again so he shouted, "Alright, Discord stop going through the damn thing and take this." He handed Discord his Stoner which Discord happily obliged, "Ooo, this is a perfect match for me!"

He look over the gun and when he saw Red pistol hanging out of a pistol holster on Red shoulder, Discord exclaimed, "Ooo, what about this one?" and reaches out to touch it.

As soon as Red saw this, he froze Discord hand by using his magic and pushes it away.

"Ow," says Discord, rubbing his hand, "Now what was that for?"

Red walks away without saying anything as he enters a building.

After he was gone, Twilight explained to Discord about the Death pistol Red carried around and why you should never touch it or you get yourself killed.

Discord half listen to what Twilight said and the other half he doesn't because he wanted to touch it anyway.

"Are you even listening to me or you just blocking my out again?" Twilight asked Discord who went dumbstruck.

Discord shook it away as he replied back with a smile, "What were you saying? I wasn't listening."

Twilight shook her head side to side as she turn to face Applejack and Rainbow with a remark, "Forget it! He is going to get killed anyway."

Discord called out to Twilight in a curious tone, "May you excuse me, princess but what happened to your horn?"

Twilight ignore the question as she walk into the same building that Red went in.

Spike, Friar and Jasper went back to a card game they left off on a crate while Marsh, Rarity and LaRoach went off somewhere into the village, leaving Applejack, Rainbow and Pinkie alone with Discord and Fluttershy.

As everyone left, Discord asked in wonderment, "What I'm suppose to do once we get into combat?"

Applejack put her arm around Discord shoulder as she said to him, "Well, we do have a place for you to replace after what happened to one of out boys four day earlier."

"Oh no," says Rainbow, taking a step backward as something was bound to happen, "You are not placing him on my team for the fun of it."

"Hey! I thought that was my job," Pinkie replied with an angry look, "Being on the MG team is no fun at all."

"At least you got Boneless." Rainbow reminded her about the rubber chicken.

Discord then suggested why don't he just join Fluttershy.

Almost all of them yelled with the answer, "No!"

"Why not?" Discord asked, "It would be better if I'm with Fluttershy."

Rainbow replied back with a cold look, "Why because on we rather get killed then get treated like a baby like you always did the last time I checked."

"And beside, we need somepony to take Angel place," Applejack added by giving Rainbow a look, "And that the end of it."

Rainbow sighted then glare back at Applejack, "If that cool with me, I'll accept it. But having Discord under my command won't be an easy one so don't expect me to watch over him."

Then, Discord pop next to Rainbow as he said to her with a chuckle, "Oh, Rainbow, I knew you were like this the last time we met."

"That you ditched us?" Rainbow suggested.

"Oh no, nothing like that. What I meant to say that you were having this distrust thing with Red over the past few months according to my standards. But since I am here to replace whoever that you ponies been talking about that hadn't been around anymore, I could make a good soldier or warrior or whatever you want to call me."

"A coward?" Applejack said.

Discord place his arm over Applejack and Rainbow shoulder as he said to them, "You know, as we may come to think of it, I was actually the one who convince the Moratins to send all the Equestrian Most Wanted to the human world where they'll be useless at the time being and speaking of which, where is Ace? I wanted to say hello to him or maybe give him a present he might be asking for. Ooh, it great to be back with all of my friends."

He then left the courtyard to search for Ace.

As soon as he left the courtyard, Applejack said to Fluttershy, "You think it was a good idea to have him back in a time like this? I don't reckon he'll even bother fighting with us once we get into war."

"Oh, I think he will. I guarantee it." Fluttershy replied with a happy look, "I'm pretty sure Rainbow Dash thought of it too."

"Hey!" Rainbow exclaimed as she land to the ground hard next to Fluttershy, "No I don't! The only fact I have in mind is to stay alive, not to lead around some idiot who is going to screw around on a battlefield like Pinkie over there."

"Hey!" Pinkie yelled in response as she looked up from loading a party cannon she install.

"And beside," Rainbow added before leaving, "Keeping Discord won't be long when something else happens in the squad." Then she left without saying a word and went over to join the card game.

Fluttershy is just standing there, feeling depressed when Applejack came by to her side to calm her down.

"It alright sugercube, everything is going to be fine," says Applejack, patting Fluttershy on the shoulder, "It'll take some time for everypony to get use of what going on."

"I hope." Says Fluttershy, tears in her eyes, "I hope."

Later in the night, the squad is patrolling outside of the village, walking across a field in pitch black. The only light that is available is the moon and the stars above them, shining brightly.

"This is all Discord fault," says Rainbow, passing under a branch, "This wouldn't happen if Discord didn't do anything stupid."

"Well, what makes you say that?" said Applejack, walking in front of her, "We hadn't been doing anything this whole time while we're here."

"Discord ended up pranking Ace and now Ace is really pissed off at us. You call that a drill?"

Discord laugh at this as he replied, "It was only a greeting to Ace. Say Red, how else have you're been doing?"

Red, who is on point, quickly whispered back, "You mean I've been trying to keep all of my friends alive. I've been doing good, thank you very much."

They climb up a slope on a small hill when Red stop the squad so he could look around to see what on the other side.

"What is it?" Twilight asked when Red returned from observing.

"There is a enemy camp on the other side of this hill." Red explain as his squad gather around.

"Should we bypass it?" Applejack asked.

"Or maybe we should hit-and-run." Jasper added with a smile.

Red shook his head as he said, "No, I was thinking of a different way to do this." He look at Discord. "Ready for your first assignment?"

Discord let out a evil grin as he said, "With pleasure." Then he turn himself into a shadow then silently crept toward the bottom of the hill into the enemy camp.

As he set out to do his task, Fluttershy asked Red with a worry look, "What did you sent him to do?"

"You'll see." Said Red then he got up to get the full view of the whole camp.

Moments later, a siren went off from the compound as a explosion erupted from the northwestern side of the camp.

The Moratins in the camp were running around screaming their heads off as something lurked between rows of tents and vehicles, setting them ablaze.

Back on the hill, Fluttershy watched in horror as a giant big explosion came up, destroying the whole came. Then, out in the smoke, a shadow of Discord bloom over the fire and a laughter that sent chill down Fluttershy spine could be heard.

After that, the shadow went back to earth and went toward the hill, with it transforming into Discord who is happily jumping up and down like he been wanting to do this ever since.

"That was marvelous!" Discord exclaimed, "Is there another camp nearby? I want to do it again!"

Red look at the destroyed camp then said to Discord, "Maybe later. So for now, we got to head back to the village and report to Ace."

Everyone turn to leave, all except Fluttershy who stay to watch the burning camp below. The light of the fire reveals Fluttershy face with tears streaking down her cheek.

She brought someone who've been missing for the past months and she thought thing will play out the way she wanted it to be. But it didn't and now the person she brought back and love has turned into one of those monsters who caused destruction for the living.

Fluttershy turn and silently cry her way back to Aalast.

War is hell.

**AN: When I come to the think of it, I never really wanted to-**

**Pinkie: And here is the audience who paid good money to see this and that over there is a vending machine and that over-**

**What are you doing?**

**Pinkie: Oh, just showing Discord around the studio. [Whisper] He think you're the director!**

**Of course I am and I say get out.**

**Discord: Oh come on now dear [name of the author withheld], don't you miss me?**

**No, that why you didn't show up in the first part and half of the second part of the series. **

**Pinkie: OOO! What this button do?**

**Don't press that butt- AAHHHhhhhh!**

**Discord: H****e****h ****h****e****h. ****H****e ****s****ai****d ****b****u****t****t.**

**Pinkie: Now with the narrator gone, I guess it time for us to say goodbye now. Remember guys! Keep reading and we'll see you on the other side!**

**Discord: A****n****d ****D****i****s****c****o****r****d ****l****o****v****e****s ****y****o****u**** v****e****r****y ****m****u****c****h.**

**G****o****o****d****b****y****e****s****!**

**[Veggie tales song start playing]**


	13. Purple Heart Lane

**AN: Hiya! Pinkie Pie here! Well, since the author is gone and I'm left in charge for this series, I think if he was here he'll say that the following chapter that you're about to read is can cause confusion and risk of getting lost because there is a lot, and I mean, a LOT of things that he thrown in that doesn't fit into the storyline.**

**But! Here goes.**

Chapter 23

_PURPLE HEART LANE_

September 27

Somewhere ten miles east of Aalast

1430 hours

The sky is clear of clouds with scents of jet streams from previous planes days before, the smell of nature breezes through full of wildlife as they prepare for winter and the feel of sunlight felt wonderful as it had ten days before when the operation first take place.

But looking back ten days ago is not the same as it is right now.

For the past ten days is something Red squad or any other units have ever experienced when they fought on the Highland; the delay of the operation, the late of XXX Corp, Angel's killed at Eindhoven, the bloody fight at Hell's Highway, Discord returned and the struggle of friendship as the Equestrian squad continue to distrust each other every day. But they were saved by letters sent by Princess Celestia who wanted them to take care and remember to keep the magic of friendship to survive.

But they couldn't, right now, here they are in a column with the 101st recon platoon and element of XXX Corp tanks, traveling down a road that will lead them to the land beyond Equestria or somewhere beside that.

In the middle of the column, Rainbow felt overrated about patrolling when she said to Red in front of her, "So, why are we doing this again?"

Red sighed then replied without looking back, "Okay, I don't have to repeat this again so listen closely aright? We were sent out here to take a hill that is a gateway to Arnhem. Not only that, we're also got to investigate because Intel said that there is an enemy concentration around this area."

"How could you be so sure that our Intel knows everything where the enemy and what they're up to?" Rainbow reply with sarcasm in her voice.

Behind Rainbow, Twilight spoke up, "That basically the same thing of what you just said. Knowing and doing is both common sense."

Then Red added, "Okay, first of all Rainbow, is to never trust out Intel. They may be smart but too stupid to look around of what HQ wanted and don't wanted. They may give us false information on the enemy whereabouts. Second of all, we were sent by the battalion staff Intel that had been looking at our recon reports for the past four days and third of all, why are you asking me this? What, you think I'm a all-knowing person?"

"Like the narrator!" Pinkie exclaimed behind Twilight, getting a look from Applejack.

Behind them, Fluttershy looks to her right and found Discord staring at Red pistol.

She finds this creepy and said to him, "Um… Discord? Could I ask you something?"

Discord broke his gaze from Red as he put his arm around Fluttershy shoulder and exclaimed, "Sure, my darling, ask me anything. In fact, you could ask me a zillion questions and I could answer them all for you."

"Well… I only have one question." Fluttershy squeak out.

Discord blink twice as he sling his now-custom Stoner over his shoulder, "Okay, what is it?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Fluttershy brush her hair from her eyes, her Red Cross helmet rattle on her head as she took every step. She took a deep breath then said to him, "Do you think it was necessary for you to go, you know, everyone uses the term 'Overkill' last night? I thought it wasn't fair to the ponies that were in that camp."

Discord chuckle a bit then replied with a funny look on his face, "Oh, Fluttershy, you know how I love it to be a bit fondest with you. But as you can see, the reason why I went overkill is because I wanted to give them the revenge I've been waiting for. What they have done to you ponies, especially what happened to you back at Knight Wo-,"

Before he could say the last word, Rarity ran and places her hoof over Discord mouth and finish for him, "What he was trying to say, darling, is that with all the consideration of us being with one another. Oh, you know what kind of fool he may be in the time like this."

She laugh nervously and try to give out her best smile, which is not working because Fluttershy is giving her a confuse look then said, "Um… that not Discord was trying to say. All I heard is he-,"

"It doesn't matter now," says Rarity, laughing nervously again, "All it seem to me is that whatever we have to say is in the past, right?"

Right when she said this, the line stops next to a huge wheat-field with a hill next to it.

A little to a second later, one of the Sherman tanks from XXX Corps exploded as the hill on their right was covered in gun flashes. Another tank exploded as the infantry took cover into a ditch.

When she jump to cover, Rainbow yelled at Twilight next to her, "Isn't that the hill we're suppose to take?"

Twilight cover her face from flying debris as she replied, "In my theory, yes. But the question remains, how are we suppose to take it even though the Moratins had set up a strong defensive positions up there?"

All the XXX Corps tanks are either destroyed or its crews bail out when the Moratins start sending in artilleries rounds.

At the end of the ditch, Red lay next to Ace who said to him, "Damn, the bastards were expecting us to go down on this road so they could nail out our armor. Now we don't have one!"

"What do we do?" Red asked, the sound of his voice seem to be drown out during the barrage.

"Well, you see, what we need to do is to do what we always do. We'll flank 'em by going down this ditch and into those woods over there." He pointed at a group of trees half of miles on their left then he added, "Let get the line moving!" He got up, waved his right arm to follow him and gallop down the ditch.

Everyone else got up, including the surviving tankers and follow after Ace, on which when they ran down the ditch until they reaches the patch of woods on their right that will shield them from the hill.

They climb out of the ditch and advance steadily toward the woods.

The hill is now on their right from the northeast when they found another recon platoon who was in the same situation as they are.

With a platoon on one end of the line and another on the other end, they continue to advance when they located a clearing with white smoke still lingering in the air.

"That strange," says Applejack after seeing the smoke, "There might be another unit who had come here before us."

"I don't think it was our unit.," says Marsh, looking at a vast group of ponies on the other end of the clearing.

Without stopping to think twice, the Allied walk straight out into the clearing and toward the ponies. They suddenly realized that those ponies are wearing blue uniforms, different from the recon platoons who are wearing olive drab.

When they got near them, one of the pony wearing an over cap saw them and called out, "Are ya'll our reinforcement?"

The newcomers look at each other before Ace replied, "Well, it look like it. Who's in charge here?"

The pony with the over cap got up and led Ace, who waved Red and Peter to follow him to a stallion wearing a colonel bar on each shoulder.

"What is it, McGregor?" says the Colonel, looking up from a map he is currently reading.

McGregor said with a remark, "Sir, we found these lads coming out to our staging area and claimed to be our reinforcement."

The Colonel looks at the three Airborne ponies before he replied, "What unit you're from?"

"We're from the 101st Airborne, sir." Ace said as he mention to the ponies around him, "I don't remember seeing guys wearing blue these days."

The Colonel laugh, "Well, you see son, we're from the 15th New York Regiment and we just got out of the War Between the States. Now if you look closely, the rebels ended up joining the enemy you boys and girls are fighting against." He checked his watch then yelled out, "Stanford! Get the men up. We got to move!"

A stallion, possibly Stanford, stand up with his bugler and play the rally tune. The Union soldiers all got up and advance toward the hill.

"What's going on?" Peter asked after the tune.

The Colonel begins walking with his men, "We got order to take this hill but we were over equipped and over firepower when the rebels knock the hell outta us."

The Airborne soldiers follow the Union through the wood as Red said to the Colonel, "That why the hill hadn't got capture yet and we got sent out here to help out."

McGregor nodded then said, "Now earlier, our lads called this hill, "The Purple Heart" because with them having the hill, we lost a number of good men when we tried to take it. Every soldier has the reason to pay the price to get to the gateway."

The Allied cross another clearing and was joined by another vast group of Union soldiers who were heading to the same objective.

Now there are about three hundred Allied and Union soldiers all in a battle line as they advance into the wood again. They stop at the edge of the tree line as they look at the hill in front of them, waiting for the order to attack.

With his squad on the back of the line, Red, Peter and Ace join the Colonel, McGregor and Stanford to the front of the line as the Colonel rally his troop to get ready.

Red looks ahead and did a little observation between them and the base of the hill.

In order for them to reach the hill, first, they must run across a 300-yards field then a creek protected by trees. Beyond the creek is a larger field which is about 2,000-yards then the hill itself. The problem about this so called "Charge" is that the Moratins on the hill had the full view on both field entirely and they have all the weapons they could have to use in order for them to stop whoever comes to attack their positions.

It seems to everyone that this pretty must a suicidal charge.

Back at Red squad, Jasper whispered to Friar, "How the hell did I join this outfit in the first place? I thought we're supposed to be the best of the whole goddamn army!"

"I wonder why we're fighting in my granddaddy unit." Friar whispered back as Stanford play the "Advance" call, causing the line to move forward into the field in a slow pace.

Fluttershy in the back called out to the ponies, "How about you ponies go on ahead without me while I'll just stay here in the tree line and watch."

Before she could sneak back into the tree line, her tail was caught by Rarity magic who said to her, "If we're gonna go in together, we're going in together!" Thus causing Fluttershy to get back in line with the other.

When the Allied got to the middle of the field, the whole area erupted into explosion as the defenders on the hill spotted them and lay down some artillery on them.

Some of the ponies on the left was hit by mortar fire but the line did not hesitate nor stopping as they continue advancing.

When they step over dead ponies that had fallen earlier, Marsh said to LaRoach, "this remind me back at Son. This is a lot better than crossing a river!"

"At least I don't want to die in the middle of nowhere," LaRoach replied back, "Even in this world."

Then, machine guns fire rang out from the hill, mowing down ponies on the far left of the line. The sound of charge could be heard all over the field as the ponies pick up speed and gallop as fast as they can while dodging explosion all around them.

Another company from the Civil War regiment shows up with an American and Equestrian flags as they repeat the same procedure as their counterpart.

Now the dead and the dying litter the field as the Allied keep pushing toward the hill.

Upon reaching a creek, Red leapt into the creek-bed and took cover behind an emplacement of logs as everyone is getting shot around him.

Red place his helmet over his eyes when an explosion occurred then looks up to find anyone from his unit. He went down the creek-bed and found Ace yelling at Rainbow to call in some air support.

While Rainbow is relying the message, Ace spotted Red and called out to him, "Red! Have you either seen the Colonel and McGregor?"

Red got next to Ace and yelled back so he could be heard above the firing, "No! It seems to me that we're getting pretty cut up here!"

"You think?" Ace said then looks over the embankment to take a glance at the hill. They are getting close to the hill but still need to get across another killing field to reach the base of the hill.

Ace got back down as he said to Red with excitement, "At least we're almost there! Sound the charge!"

When the other company reaches the creek, Ace got up to get the line moving again, but to no avail.

The sound of the artillery is getting closer as everyone is crowded together in one small creek, thus making them a bigger target to the enemy.

"We can't stay here!" Red yelled and was preparing to get out, "We got to move!" Before he could jump out, he spotted a flag carrier with an Equestrian flag taking cover near him.

Red ran over to her, grabs her by the arm and lifted her up, yelling, "Follow me!" He led the carrier out of the creek-bed, plus twenty more ponies, toward the hill. This also stirs up everyone else in the creek-bed and they all join the charge, with Red and the carrier leading the way.

When the whole line is back up again, the Equestrian flag could be seen, waving wearily as they kept going and going, ignoring hail of bullets and explosives rounds.

While running, Red finally realized why the hill is called, "The Purple Heart". It was named this because there are bodies of ponies from different units that they had died earlier. If the charge is successful, they will avenge their fallen brothers.

While he was noticing the slaughter, an explosion knocks Red to the ground.

Something warm tickle the side of his head as Red got back up and felt it with his hoof.

It wasn't his blood though. Red looks around and found the flag carrier next to him on the ground, dead from the explosion.

The flag somehow survived unscathed as it lay on the ground with blood on every corner on the flag.

Red grabbed the flag handle, lifted it up to his shoulder, supported by magic and continues the charge with everyone on either side of him as they got to the base of the hill.

The enemy on top is now firing everything they had at the attackers, who were receiving heavy casualties as they make their way up the hill.

The call from Rainbow radio went answered as Allied planes flew over the field, dropping smoke panels on the hill to cover the attackers from the enemy guns, but it also causes confusion on the attackers because they can't see on where they're going.

Twilight stop and took cover behind a branch for protection to spot anyone from her squad. She saw Red disappeared into the smoke while holding the flag when he continues up the hill. Twilight look to her right and spotted Applejack, Pinkie and Spike hiding behind another tree near her.

Twilight broke cover and ran toward them under the roar of gunfire and reaches them when Applejack yelled out, "Rainbow has to call in some smoke support!"

"At least it's protecting us from getting shot." Says Spike, adjusting his helmet that got knock off.

Twilight look at the smoke then yelled, "Come on! We'll get up there together."

Then Spike added, "Go! Go! Go!" then they all got up and continue to advance up the hill.

The first one on the hill, Red gallop through the smoke and was half-way up the hill when he found a trench, jump over it with no point of looking into it anyway and found lights through the smoke. He runs into it to stop and look around.

When he turn, first, he notice he was alone again and second, he found an old stallion with a sagged white mane and beard and is wearing a grey overcoat with three stars on his shoulder board.

Red almost make a quick draw with his .45 on him when the stallion said, "Don't make yourself a target. Every soldier must knows to keep fulfilling his duty before the objective can be taken." He then disappeared into the smoke so Red follow him without thinking about his safety or who this stallion is.

He reaches another clearing of the smoke and witness a group of gray uniforms ponies taking out a bunker full of Moratins. But why? Shouldn't they already be shooting and finishing him off by now?

Red found the stallion again, talking to his staff when he turn and spotted Red. He waved him over so Red gallop over to the stallion, still carrying the flag as the stallion spoke to him in a kind voice, "I could see you are carrying your unit flag as self-sacrifice for your comrades."

Red was in a puzzled state as he looks around then said to the stallion, "Why are you doing this? Shouldn't you be fighting alongside with the Moratins?"

The fighting around them seems to be closer and the yelling of the attackers is getting closer as the stallion replied with a firm look, "We wouldn't want to fight with someone who is fighting against our brothers. The war between you and me is over and the only different between us warriors is not just our country uniting, but our destiny. War can be so horrible as we grow so fond for it."

The smoke screen around them seems to be emerging as the stallion and his men begin to walk toward the smoke, away form Red.

Red then quickly called out to the stallion one final time, "Who are you, sir? You seem like someone I've known for a long time."

The stallion stop, turn to smile at Red and exclaimed with pride, "I am General Robert E. Lee. Do not forget the lesson I have spoken with you." He waved his hat in the air as in goodbye then walk into the smoke, disappearing from sight.

The smoke emerges as the spell been lifted and Red is just standing there with the flag, stunned on who he just met.

Behind him, his unit reaches him and without noticing their surrounding area, kept on moving toward the top of the hill.

Red is thinking is thinking of what the general told him when Twilight place her hoof on Red shoulder, awakening him from his thought and said to him, "Come on Red! What are you doing standing around? We can't stop until this hill is taken!"

Red shook his thought away and continues to lead the advance.

There is still some Moratins left on the top of the hill but the Allied overwhelm their positions and took them out for good.

Even they secure the top of the hill; the fighting is still going on around them as Allied planes kept bombing the hill, causing some friendly casualties.

"We need something to call them off!" Ace yelled above the bombing, "Rainbow, tell them to cease fire!"

"I can't!" Rainbow called back by holding up her damaged radio, "Radio busted!"

"Then we need something else then!" Twilight suggested.

In between the bombing, Red got an idea.

He found an average size rock emplacement and a large pole near a bunker. He attached the pole to the flag handle and sticks the end of it to raise it as their beacon. But it was too heavy to be lifted.

"Rainbow! Twilight! Help me out!" Red called out to the ponies near him.

Twilight and Rainbow, along with Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Applejack, reaches Red to help raise it.

Red step back and let the Mane Six position themselves by grabbing the pole as they're about to raise the flag.

"By the count of three," says Twilight, "We'll raise it together."

When she counted three, they all lifted the flag slowly to a standing position.

While they were raising it in a dramatic pose, Spike took out a camera from his backpack and took a picture of the raising.

The way they raise it is like the Marine flag-raising on Iwo Jima.

After the flag is up, the bombing actually stop when the Allied pilots saw the flag and discover the hill has been taken.

After the Allied planes fall back, everyone on the hill cheered and celebrates their victory. But it was costly one and each and everyone of them shall never forget this day on which they showed incredible courage and bravery.

Red walk back down the way he came up to take a look at the field where the fallen had died. There are other soldiers with him, searching through bodies of their buddies to retrieve their dog-tags and letters they promised to send home if the owner is killed in combat.

With pain in his heart, Red look around the field, hoping to find the Colonel and McGregor but instead, found Stanford on the ground, clutching his bugler to his chest as blood ooze over it.

Red went down to his knee to comfort Stanford but all Stanford did is he lifted the bugler to Red for him to take. Red look at the brass instrument with expression shown on his face but Stanford gives him a smile then drew his last breath.

He pretty much died the same way as Angel did but this time, with his fallen brothers around him.

Red took the bugler from the corpse and manages not to shed tear on someone he does not know.

He walks to the side of the field with the bugler in hooves and position himself into a playing position.

He wanted to play something for those who have lost their lives to protect other and he knows a perfect tune for it.

Red wipe the blood from the mouthpiece, presses his lip against it and begin to play the "Taps".

The sound from the bugler was beautifully carried all across the battlefield for everyone to hear.

The world seem to stop as they listen to it, the mourning from the wounded and the dying stopped with their painful cry as they welcome to the sound that awaited them and even everyone on the top of the hill stopped what they're doing and listen to the call of the fallen.

Everyone understood the reason why this hill is called the "Purple Heart" and its fields is it lane.

The Equestrian flag continue to drift wearily as the last note ended and the echo carry on to the surrounding area.

Up in the sky, the lines of C-47 planes continue to drift southward as they are heading home.

Red voice-_ On that cold September, 34,600 of the Allied forces embark on Operation Market Garden to liberate the Highland and to bring the way into the Crystal Mountain. On September 25, the 506__th__ and the 501__st__, plus elements of the 101__st__ recon squads, pushes the Moratins out of Koevering. It said here that the 101__st__ realized that the 1__st__ Airborne up at Arnhem can no longer hold out the might of the Moratin armor, the Allies have to abandon all hope in order to win the war by Christmas. As for XXX Corps; wounded, battered, kicked and dying will never be able to reach their destination on time._

_Ultimately, the Allies have suffered 17,000 casualties in just ten days._

_But their story is not over._


	14. Epilogue

_EPILOUGE_

December 16

Ponyville

1523 hours

Twilight is laying on a bunk in a barrack she is in, wondering what to do next since they had finally got of the Highland in November.

Ever since the operation was a failure, everyone in the squad couldn't resist themselves to keep fighting in a war that wasn't suppose to exist.

Now, they are distrusting Red and were questioning about his leadership and his way of carrying around the Death Pistol when the legend became widespread.

Now, everyone in the whole regiment are starting to believe in it but it was later unconfirmed if they actually knows about it.

Everyone in the squad has gone out to do something to get their mind off of what happened to them at the Highland; Red gone to the battalion HQ to file out a transfer on Discord but it was decline so now he is writing a letter to Angel parent. Applejack, Jasper, LaRoach, Marsh and Pinkie all went to the firing range to improve their weaponry. Fluttershy is teaching Discord how to be a medic with Rainbow watching overt them to make sire Discord got it all down. Rarity and Friar are at the mess hall, sewing and cleaning torn uniforms for the next operation and Spike is sleeping next to Twilight.

That makes thirteen people in the squad and that the number that started off in the beginning of the war.

When Twilight thought about it, thirteen isn't a very lucky number but they managed to stay alive throughout the bloodiest fighting they've been through so far; the nightmare at the Canterlot region and the killing on Hell's Highway but there is one more challenge that they have to face and Twilight couldn't it out what it was.

While she is thinking about it, she took out a scroll and a pen, set them on a desk next to her bunk and wake Spike up, telling him she need a favor.

"Sure," says Spike, rubbing his eyes as he has been awaken, "What can I do for ya?"

Twilight picked up the scroll and pen then handed them to Spike, saying, "I need you to write a letter to Princess Celestia for me. You know, just to let her know we are alive and well."

Spike hold out the pen as he is ready to write when Twilight stand in front of him, pacing back and forth as she began, "Dear Princess Celestia, I am happy to inform you that we have safety made it out of the Highland operation and I wanted to say how grateful you have been sending those letters reminding us to use the magic of friendship during the face of combat." She paused to wait for Spike to catch up who is busily writing down everything Twilight has to say.

When he catches up, Twilight continue, "Whenever the time I thought about it, I thought to myself, 'Why not using the magic of friendship to use us stick to what we're good at.' Please don't take that as an excuse for not using the magic that we brought peace to this land. I find it hard to believe to use as a commitment for a personal need even though we follow whatever Red has to say. You know what? Scratch that. I don't think to be telling the Princess in a time like this."

Spike scribble the last sentence he wrote then exclaimed, "You know what? I think you're right. We haven't been using the magic of friendship when we're following Red's orders. I don't think the Princess mind it at all."

Twilight nodded as she continue, "Okay, anyway as I was saying, we have been following Red and Ace wherever the situations may be and whether or not it was life-threatening. But the main point is, wherever we go or at, we always stay together no matter what its take when we stay together, as friends. But just to let you know, Discord has recently joined us so we have to take an extra precaution toward him. He has been acting weird whenever he's near Red. To end this letter, I'll be asking for any more advices that might be useful to us once this conflict is beginning to its end.

From your loving and most fateful student, Twilight Sparkle."

As soon as she was finished, she looks at Spike who is busy writing down the last part as he mumble, "Most fateful student, Twilight Sparkle. And done! Wow, I never expected it to be that long!"

"Just send it." Twilight smiled.

Spike rolls the scroll up and went over to a window, open it and drew out a breath which turn the scroll into magical dust and its fly toward the sky and disappear.

Twilight watches it goes then turn to sit on her bunk so she can continue thinking about the last challenge.

She closes her eyes and begins to fall asleep.

Later that night, Applejack is busily cleaning her revolver when she saw rows of light shining through the windows.

"What the hay?" she asked in wonderment.

Then, the barrack door flew open as Red step through and shouted at everyone in the room, "Wake up! Wake up! We got to move! Get your tails up now! We need to be somewhere as fast as possible!"

Half of the ponies barely heard him as they were trying to get out of their bunks.

"What going on?" Twilight asked in a dizzy voice.

"The Moratins had broken through our line at the Crystal Mountain!" Red word acted like a fire when everyone were suddenly awake and begin to quickly grab everything they'll need for combat and head out to board trucks that are waiting at the assembly area outside.

Some of the ponies barely had their uniforms on while the other carried weapons that have no ammunitions in it.

After everyone in the camp boarded the trucks, they were driven down on the road toward a place where they have to defend against the Moratins at all cost.

Soon, they will learn they will be heading straight to a city called Bastogne.

**To be continue**

**AN: I the next thing I see is you showing up all over my TV screen! **

**Oh, sorry about that. Hada kicked both Pinkie and Discord out so that won't be showing up here again.**

**Anyway, congratulate on finishing the 2****nd**** part of the series! Now that final part of the series is going to be about the final part of the war as the squad has to fight against the Moratins at the Crystal Mountain. Hate to tell you this but some of the characters in the squad will die and it just sad to see them go when I wrote this on paper.**

**Keep your eyes peeled and watch for the 3****rd**** part which will be called, "Equestrian Warfare: Earned in Blood".**

**See you on the other side! **


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